Charades
by LizzieElena
Summary: Year 7. Hermione has a dark secret. When love's the last thing she needs and the first gift she’s given, what'll happen when her secret's revealed? Can his love save her from a life that wasn’t meant for her? Or will she drive it all away to honor a debt?
1. I'm All Dressed Up

**Charades**

A Draco/Hermione Story

**Summary: **At the end of her 5th year, Hermione was offered a post in a secret company in exchange for the knowledge of what was to come of the future. It's been one year and she's helped defeat Voldemort with the knowledge she gained, but can she keep her secrets from her friends? Who will be the first one to figure out what is wrong with her? Does love really conquer all? Post HBP, not DH compliant. OC characters involved.

**Disclaimer:** I neither own Harry Potter and its affiliated characters nor the song Charades.

**Pairings:** None yet, but eventually...

**Author's Note:** This is completely experimental and is probably going to bomb, but I had this idea just spur up and had to get it out. You may see some similarities between this and a certain show on Fox, but no more details until later. Hermione is living in London with a friend.

RE-POST: I received a helpful review saying that I needed to break up the paragraphs. Thanks sarahr85!

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**Chapter 1:** I'm All Dressed Up

* * *

"That was—amazing." The man breathed from the other side of the bed. Hermione stood up and dressed, ignoring his compliment completely. She performed a few spells to remove the smell from her person and freshen herself up. She zipped the side zipper on her fitted and expensive black satin dress, slipped into her black satin stiletto pumps, and grabbed her purse from the hotel room reading table. "Where are you going?" The man asked.

She turned to look at him, her face expressionless. "You paid for my service, not my company. I have an appointment to keep." She told him honestly walking to the door.

"I paid for the night, it's only 8." He protested, standing up from the bed and walking fast over to her. Hermione was faster, pulling out her wand and pointing it at the man.

"You know how this goes, Mr. Harcourt. _Obliviate_." She erased her face from his memories and left the room without as much as a glance. When she exited the building, rendering the necessary spells on the surveillance cameras and anyone else in the building, she pulled out her cell phone. She hit speed dial one.

"Results?" a female voice answered.

"Task completed." Hermione replied, walking down deeper into London.

"Good. Tomorrow, 10 o'clock." And she heard the click of the call being ended. Then, she performed the same spells on herself that she'd just completed in that muggle building. No faces, if they didn't have faces her job was easier. Her cell phone rang again and she picked it up. "Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, Gin. What's up?" Hermione replied as she reached her car parked a mile down the road from the hotel she was just at and pressed the button on her key chain to unlock the car.

"Are you heading over?" She questioned.

Hermione laughed. "I'm on my way. Who's all coming over?" She asked.

"The whole bunch…and Harry invited Malfoy." She told her honestly. Hermione took in a breath of surprise. Ginny must've heard it, because she added, "He thought that since Malfoy turned over that new leaf, we could try to play nice, he doesn't have a whole lot of friends anymore." That made sense. Malfoy did have a few friends, the ones that Hermione herself had gotten to know in the year since she joined the company, but they didn't spend a lot of time with him. He was a gentleman, in her eyes, and had taken all the abandon on the chin. Hermione had started to try to convince her friends to trust the blond haired boy, but this was the first move that they had made in that direction. Hermione got into the car and started the engine.

"Ok, well, tell everyone I'd be there shortly."

"Will do, see you." They both hung up at the same moment and Hermione put her phone in her purse. She pulled out of the space and into traffic, heading towards South London. If she weren't careful, she'd be late for Harry and Ginny's engagement party. Once Voldemort had been stopped, Harry didn't waste anytime getting the woman that he loved to be his forever. Hermione personally thought that they weren't a good match; she thought that they were too different, much like her and Ron. She hadn't said anything to them, because she didn't want to get involved on something that really wasn't any of her business. They would be marrying at the end of the year, according to Ginny, before they went into Auror training.

Ron and she were still dating, though both agreed that they weren't a good match, it was mainly for they're self-esteem. Hermione kept Ron, because she knew that he was solid in her life, the only thing really. Her job was trying and she could always go to Ron at the end of a Task, even if she couldn't tell him what she did or why or anything about why she needed him. He never questioned her coming to him, never asked questions, mainly because he never noticed that anything was wrong with her. That was one of the reasons that they wouldn't work in the long run, he had the emotional range of a pea, and was blind as a bat. He couldn't tell when she was upset. It worked for now, because she couldn't allow for anyone to know about what she did for a living. The company was Unmentionable, forbidden to be discussed by the Ministry centuries ago, and if anyone were to find out, she would have to use her skills that they had trained her to use on them. She didn't like deceiving her friends, but it was better than them finding out that she was a Witch for Hire, that she was a Charaden. It would be worse if they found out that she wasn't the only one in their year, or even among their friends and family.

Before Hermione reached Grimauld Place, she had one more stop. Her flat was on the other side of London from the old Headquarters and she needed a change of wardrobe. Her outfit that she wore at present read as seductive and she needed a more 'her' ensemble. She parked in the drive and went up to the appropriate floor, put in her key and unlocked the door. "It's only me, Blair!" She called out to her roommate. Blair Radcliffe was a talented and beautiful witch, a Ravenclaw. She had known Blair for years, but they only became friends when Hermione had been recruited for Charade. Charade was a company that was in the business of hire. Wizards and witches were recruited and trained in combat, both magical and muggle, Memory Charms, Legilimens and Occlumens, and acting. Then they were trained in specific skill sects, such as espionage, languages, solicitation, assassination, research, and high-risk situations.

After Voldemort had been out-ed and the whole event down in the Department of Mysteries had been published, a woman approached Hermione in Diagon Alley. Her name was Lilah Hart and she ran Charade. She had proposed that Hermione join Charade in return for information about the future and the access of a time turner to learn first hand. Unable to deny that, she took the offer and learned about all the deaths, all the advents that would determine their future, then used that information to help Harry. She never told anyone about her career and she learned every skill that Charade offered in training. At first, she loved the work. Being hired to work in research labs all over Europe, the thrill of chasing down Death Eaters, working in the Magical UN as an interpreter, spying on companies, it all thrilled her. Then came her first assassination, it was the hardest one to get through. She then decided to start using the Memory Charms on herself, so she wouldn't remember the face of the man that she'd killed. Her first solicitation was also hard, not wanting to loose her virginity on the job. So, she decided that she'd deceive her best friend.

That's right, Hermione Granger didn't loose her virginity to Ron, and she lost it to Harry. She had told him that she was nervous about sleeping with Ron and she wanted someone she trusted to be her first. She had explained that Ron had a habit of abandoning them when they needed him the most and she didn't want to loose her virginity to him. Harry was flabbergasted to say the least. He had agreed and she spent the night in his arms. They never spoke of it again, neither one telling Ron nor Ginny. Hermione did eventually sleep with Ron, but not until she had already had nine solicitations. Blair and Hermione had helped each other pull through the first few hard months and had grown close because of it. There were 8 students recruited from each seventh year class, because of the war, their 8 had been recruited earlier than usual. The 8 were required to undergo psychiatric evaluations after every Task, but that didn't always help. Having a friend that she could talk to about the Tasks was what most of them needed. So, each of their 8 had left home and moved in with another one, and Hermione had become roommates with Blair. They were even better friends a year later, than Hermione and Ginny had been the entire 5 years that they'd known each other.

Hermione went back to her bedroom and put on a high waist pencil skirt over a white sleeveless dress shirt with ruffles. She then added a thin black belt across her waist. She changed her black shoes for a pair of white, which were shorter and less intimidating. She also pulled her curly hair back into a high ponytail and put a white ribbon in her hair as a headband. She redid her makeup to a more modest composite and was finally presentable. She kept the hand bag, since it was simple and left her bedroom. When she reached the living room, she saw Blair. She was Hermione's height, about 5'4", and slender. She wore black skinny jeans and a fitted leather jacket. Her mahogany hair was also tied back into a high ponytail, every strand carefully in place. Her hands were clad in familiar leather cloves and her jacket pocket looked heavy. "Task tonight?" Hermione asked. Blair looked at her.

"Ministry hire from Unspeakables. The D.O.M. needs something taken care off." Blair explained as much as she could. They weren't permitted to discuss tasks until they were completed and even then they couldn't discuss them except at the appropriate place. "My holster is hanging in my closet. The gun is too conspicuous in the pocket." Hermione told her. Blair looked down and nodded.

"Are you on Task?" She asked.

"No, just returned. I'm going to Harry's." Hermione explained. Blair nodded again and retreated to Hermione's room to retrieve the holster.

"Oh, yeah. That was tonight?" Hermione nodded once. "Tell them I'm sorry."

"I will. After all, you can't leave your sick grandmother alone, can you?" Hermione said smiling, then she left and called out goodbye before closing the door and leaving the building.

* * *

***

* * *

To say that Harry felt uncomfortable was an understatement. Ginny was talking animatedly to her mother about children and where they were going to live and about a million other things that Harry thought was a bit premature. He loved Ginny, he did, but this was—he'd thought that proposing was the best thing at the time, but now he'd realized that it was too soon. It was too late to reverse it. At first, he'd been so happy just to get through the war and was able to be with her. He never did figure out how Hermione had known about Malfoy's orders to kill Dumbledore, or how she knew where all the Horcruxes were, or any of the other million things that had helped him end the war a month and a half ago. They had lost only a few people during the war, Tonks and Moody. Lupin was raising Teddy, their son, and had been re-assigned the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts this term, since he was now a noted war hero. Harry was happy to have an excellent Defense teacher and to be honest, he was happy that school was starting in three days, because he needed to escape Ginny and Mrs. Weasley's wedding plans. He was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Hermione and Blair.

When Hermione began to spend time with the intelligent, high society Ravenclaw, Harry hadn't thought much about it. Blair Radcliffe was known to be a friend of Draco Malfoy's and Pansy Parkinson's, but once he got to know the girl, he'd learned to love her perspective on the world. The society that she'd grown up in was so different from the one that he was used to; the kind that his aunt and uncle could only dream of, if they were to aspire to the heights of the magical community that is. She was intelligent, well dressed, beautiful, and brought a fair bit of interest to their group at large. He'd been shocked to learn that she had been apart of the DA and he hadn't even noticed. Of course, that year he had been focused on Cho Chang, and students that needed extra help. She excelled in everything that she did and she had an incredibly kind heart. Ron had taken more time than Harry to adjust to the newest member of their group, but he too learned to enjoy the perspective that she brought, though he was often jealous of her wealth, like he was with Harry. Ginny out and out didn't like her, she complained that she flashed her wealth in their faces, by dressing in designer cloths (Harry suspected that Blair only owned designer things, even robes) and she was a snobby pureblood that had no place in their lives. It was only when Harry pointed out that Ginny was also a pureblood that she'd stopped that line.

Harry could see what Hermione saw in her, the genuine good soul and the fact that they had almost everything in common. He'd been surprised to learn that they had gotten a flat together in the city near Grimauld Place, but they spent a lot of their time with him, so he didn't complain. It was just strange not to have Hermione living with him at his home. He found himself thinking about Hermione a lot after the engagement. He still hadn't told Ginny that he'd slept with Hermione, knowing it would be the thing that would drive a wedge between them, especially as he hadn't slept with Ginny. As far as she knew, he was still a virgin, not that he and his best friend had lost it together in a one night stand. Harry had wondered why Hermione had asked him, even after hearing her reasoning, because Ron hadn't told him anything about sleeping with her until nearly a month later. Ron didn't realize that she wasn't a virgin, having not experienced it before, and didn't complain about that, but only that she'd been distant during and after. Harry wondered why. They hadn't talked about it since it happened and he was scared for her. Worried that she'd been hurt by it or something. He knew he couldn't let it rest, because she was all that occupied his mind lately.

He'd noticed that she'd been distant with them all, for a while. Disappearing unexplained and he'd thought that he'd seen her talking to Pansy Parkinson in Diagon Alley a few days ago. Then, he could've sworn that Blaise Zabini had smiled at her later that day. Hermione was friendly, that was sure, but she'd never talked to Zabini before, none of them had, and Parkinson was the last person that he'd expected to see having a civil word with her. Sure, she talked to other people, they were all friends with people in other Houses, but her speaking with Slytherins—it was strange for Hermione. Of course, if they were nice to her and hadn't given her trouble, he didn't see anything wrong with it, but it was just odd. Then again, inviting Draco Malfoy to his engagement party was odd on his part too. It was time for change—that was for sure and who was he to deny it?

Speaking of Draco Malfoy, the tall blond boy was standing in a corner of the room, just enough out of the way from everyone, nursing a bottle of butter beer. Harry excused himself from the chirping Weasley women and walked over to that particular corner, grabbing his own butter beer on the way. The boys met eyes awkwardly and they both just stood against the wall watching everyone. Neither spoke for minutes before Harry couldn't stand the silence any longer. He glanced at the taller man and said, "What's up?"

Malfoy looked at him and smirked. "That's the best you can come up with?" He asked, then looked back at the crowd.

"Well…I guess it is. I didn't know how to break the silence." Harry admitted.

Malfoy chuckled. "I understand. This isn't exactly easy for me either. Why did you invite me anyway, Potter?" He asked seriously.

"I dunno. Why'd you come?" Harry redirected.

Malfoy seemed to think about his answer thoroughly before replying, "Company. I wanted company. Ironic, isn't it? I came here to not be alone, but here I am, in a corner, only speaking to you because you won't go away." Harry laughed and took a sip of his drink. "Congratulations, Potter. I'm sure you and the Weaselette will hate each other for a good long time."

Harry looked at him with a frown. "What do you mean?" He asked seriously.

"Ginny and you are nothing alike, Potter. She's fire, you're ice. You're the chosen one, she's a Weasley. Come on, tell me you haven't noticed? Tell me that you aren't regretting this whole thing?" Harry thought about this. He did regret asking her to marry him so soon, but not that he'd asked her. He loved Ginny. He was spared to answer by the entrance of Hermione into the den. Harry smiled and Malfoy followed the direction of his eyes. The both of them walked towards her, just as Ron was from his perch with the twins. "Hey, Granger." Malfoy said, smirking. Harry looked at her. She looked bloody fantastic. The outfit she wore just flattered her and he could barely keep his eyes from her. He noticed that he wasn't the only one. Malfoy had given her the once over, but kept his eyes on hers. Ron had his mouth hanging open.

"Hello, Draco. How are you?" She asked politely. She always alternated between his first and surname. She was the only one of them who had ever been comfortable with not having complete enmity towards him, though she had the most reason too.

"I'm just fine. And yourself?" He returned. Harry marveled at how easily they conversed.

"Quite well, thank you." She turned to Harry and gave him a hug, which he gladly reciprocated. "Congratulations, Harry. Blair wanted to me to send her apologies, her grandmother fell ill again and she went to her." Harry would be lying if he said that he wasn't disappointed, he had been looking forward to seeing Blair. But she was such a kind soul, to go to her grandmother's to care for the older woman. She was so easy to talk to, she was Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and a Seeker. She also wanted to become an Auror, just like he did. They could talk for hours about the other million things that they liked in kind. Harry remembered what Malfoy said—he was wrong, wasn't he?

"Oh, its fine, Hermione. We can catch up at the Farewell Dinner." Harry told her smiling. Hermione returned his warm smile with one of her own.

"So, 'Mione, did you have any plans for lunch tomorrow?" Ron asked as they all walked to the refreshment table.

"I'm not sure, Ronald. I may have to meet my parents. I'll send you an owl." She promised. Ron nodded and she gathered a few small sandwiches and a butter beer. "So, Draco, are you looking forward to next term?" She asked conversationally as they each took a chair and dragged it to the corner that Malfoy had occupied just minutes before. Harry sat down beside her, Ron on the other side, and Malfoy facing her. Harry didn't really understand the look in Malfoy's eyes. It was something that he doubted his one-time nemesis even noticed. He had a light in his eyes; something that he saw in Bill's eyes when he looked a Fleur or when Mr. Weasley looked at Mrs. Weasley. It worried Harry to a point. He'd been around the both of them together all summer, and neither had any inclination towards one or the other at all, until now. It seemed wholly Malfoy, so Harry didn't think it would lead anywhere. He looked at Hermione, she was smiling, eating her finger sandwich like she didn't notice a thing wrong with him.

"I am. We'll be sharing a dorm, you realize?" He replied. Harry looked at him sharply, as did Ron, both shocked by that statement.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, before Hermione could reply.

Malfoy looked at him, smirking. "Heads, Potter. Granger and I will be Head Boy and Girl. I received my letter this morning, and I'd wager that Granger did as well." Malfoy turned those silver eyes to Hermione who nodded.

"I was just going to ask about that. You received the post, then?" Hermione asked him.

Malfoy nodded. "Yes. I thought that perhaps in light of last year that Dumbledore would've given the post to Potter, but I really don't understand that man at all." Harry sighed. He had hoped to get Head Boy, but Malfoy did beat his scores in almost every subject every term. He was second only to Hermione in marks and Harry did see the integrity that Dumbledore saw in the Slytherin. Harry wanted to soon regard him as a friend, to rectify any bad blood between them, but he still didn't like that little twinkle in his eye as Hermione and he discussed their positions and the beginning formations of Prefect schedules. Ron just seemed bored and began to discuss Quidditch with Harry. Harry knew immediately that this year was probably going to be the roughest on all of them—and they didn't even have to fight Voldemort or the Death Eaters any longer.

* * *

***

* * *

Blair climbed the tallest tree over looking the area that the Target was in. She walked lithe like a cat along the branch until she was at the end, about twenty feet from the Target's roof. She tightened her pony tail and took in a deep breath before doing a summersault over the twenty foot gap and landing noiselessly on the roof of the large manor house. She took out her wand, performed an Ex-Ray spell, and pointed her wand at spots in the roof until she saw the Target, sitting in his study reading a book. She had to go down three stories, over 200 feet, and through a window. The 200 feet would be the start, as she did lithe layouts quickly covering the distance with ease. She re-did the spell on the tip of her wand and pointed down. He was still there, unaware and undisturbed. Climbing down would be tricky. She looked over the edge of the roof and saw a rose cage that trailed up the side of the house. She brought her legs over the edge and took her first steps onto the small ladder. Soon her entire body was off the roof and she climbed down efficiently. She reached the second floor and climbed over a balcony railing and was surrounded by the light of the den. Quickly, she covered herself in darkness and performed a Disillusionment Charm. Invisible, she carefully slipped into the open glass doors that led to the balcony and made her way to the fireplace, where the Target sat, turning a page. She reached into her jacket and her hand wrapped around the butt of her gun, safely nuzzled in Hermione's shoulder holster.

She pulled it out, silently, then performed a silencing charm before retiring her wand for the moment. She pointed the gun at the back of the Target's head and cocked the hammer. She pulled the trigger and blood and grey matter shot out of the front of his head and onto the walls and fireplace. He slumped forward and she put the gun back in its holster, re-emerging her wand from her hip holster for it and performed a transfiguration spell on his book to copy her gun to the exact parameters. She did a few specialized spells on the Target to where he had GSR (Gun Shot Residue) on his writing hand and the trajectory of the shot. She transferred the blood and brain spatter to the opposing wall and on his chair professionally then pulled out a piece of parchment with a specialized suicide note written in the Target's hand and placed in on his tea set. She looked around the room and made sure that everything was perfect, then exited the way she entered. She waited in the dark of the balcony for the Target's house elf to come in. The creature squeaked and called for her mistress. Another job done. She left the property and Disapparated to her flat.

When she arrived home, she pulled out her cell phone and pressed speed dial one. "Results?" a masculine voice requested.

"Task completed." She replied mechanically.

"Well done. Tomorrow, ten o'clock." And the man hung up the phone. She then performed a Memory Charm on herself, removing the Target's face from her mind. Hermione was right, this job was easier if they didn't have a face. She went back into her room and shed her clothes. She could go to Harry's engagement party, but Hermione gave her an alibi for the night. She didn't really want to see Harry and the Weaselette all over each other, drowning in their premarital bliss anyway. Ginny hated, really hated Blair. She took every opportunity to insult her and on the rare occasion that they were alone, she would warn her to stop talking to Harry or she'd curse her with the famed Bat-Bogey hex or worse. That's right, the littlest Weasley had threatened to use an Unforgivable. Did that stop Blair? No, of course not. She wasn't afraid of the Weaselette. She was trained as an assassin and worse, she wouldn't be afraid, and she wouldn't stop talking to Harry. He could talk to her about anything and they were always on the same page. They could talk about Quidditch, Auror training, the War, anything and that was a small peace for Blair. If she had it her way, she'd be there with him now. She needed to talk, to get her mind off the Task she'd just completed. She'd killed before, and she never let it bother her, but this one did.

Their entire Unit, their 8, had had to kill someone that they knew and it bothered all of them. Even Crow, he'd had to kill his own father after being hired to do so by the Minister. The Ministry liked to pretend that Charade didn't exist, but they used it just as much as your average rich wizard did. Charade did the Ministry's dirty laundry. In Charade, you were still yourself, but you weren't called by your name within the walls of Varden Manor. Once the Unit was recruited, they were given two new names, code names, one for their file and one for the missions. The file names were just letters that corresponded with their real name in some way. Blair's, for instance, was B. Hermione's was J for her middle name. Their mission names, which was also the names that they were called while at Varden by both their Unit and by the CEOs of Charade, Lilah Hart and Xavier Wolfe, went with something that acknowledged something about themselves. Blair's mission name was Trance. When given that name, Wolfe could only say that she was entrancing, that anyone who looked at her, even in her assassin's best, would be under her spell. Hermione's was Honey, because almost everything about Hermione was honey. She had honey brown hair, light honey skin, honey brown eyes, and even her personality was like honey, sweet but could be bitter and sticky.

Crow, which was his mission name, was the big brother of the group. He wasn't the leader of the Unit, because there were no leaders. They didn't ever go on group missions, so a leader was unnecessary. But he was undoubtedly the one that any of them could go to. He had a protective stance over the girls in particular, if they had ever been assaulted by a solicitation, abused in any way shape or form, he had found someone willing to pay for that person to be killed, then do it. A few times, he'd killed them even without money. He had nearly gone mad when one had tried to rape Hermione, and it wasn't even a solicitation mission, it was a research mission. It was before she'd come of age, she'd never been given a solicitation mission because of her youth, just like they all had. The man said that he'd paid for her services and he thought that he should take advantage of it. Once Crow found out, the man didn't make it through the night, and the body was still missing, chalked up in the papers as Voldemort. He'd been in Solitary, a mission-less state while undergoing intense therapy at Varden and unable to speak to anyone until released, for nearly 2 months. The year that they'd all joined Charade had been intense. The lines between houses had blurred. The two Gryffindors, Hermione and Raven (mission name), had had to come to grips with the two Slytherins, Crow and Sin (mission name). It took less time for Crow and the Gryffindors than it did for Sin.

Soon though they were all inseparable and a true Unit. Blair had been friends with Sin, Crow, and even Ice before their recruitment. Ice because he was in her house, but the others because they were all apart of the pureblood high society. She'd become easy friends with Hermione, as they had many similar interests and had started to gravitate towards the Golden Trio and the DA after a few months. She was counted in their number, by everyone except the Weaselette, and Crow and Sin hadn't begrudged her. Others in their group had, but they'd quieted them down. Hermione had saved Dumbledore and Draco with the knowledge that Wolfe and Hart had given her. Draco had fought at her side during the war, with the unwavering loyalty that had always set him apart from other Slytherins. Blair always thought that he was well suited to Gryffindor, but the hat had chosen Slytherin because of his uncanny cunning and his heritage. He was brave and honest, to a point of cruelty almost, and Blair had only seen him be truly mean to only Hermione, Harry, and the Weasleys. Sure, he didn't treat everyone right, his evil henchmen received more abuse than any Gryffindor ever had, but he ran Slytherin. She looked on her desk as she dressed in her red satin spaghetti strapped night gown that hit just at mid-thigh. There was the letter that he'd written her this morning. She picked it up, pulling the rubber band out of her hair and shaking it loose. It read;

_Dear Blair,_

_I just received my Hogwarts letter. I am now Head Boy, though I haven't the foggiest reason why, and I know that Granger is Head Girl, so tell her congratulations for me. The last year has been hard on all of us, and I don't know how this year will go, but I'm counting on a lot of problems, because that's just Hogwarts, isn't it?_

_Potter asked the Weaselette to marry him. I'm sorry, Blair. I know that you had feelings towards him. And don't try to deny it. I know you, and I've never heard you talk about someone the way you do Potter and you have a light in your eyes when ever he's around. It makes you even more radiant. I don't know how he's been so blind to it, but he can be a ponce sometimes. He tells me that he isn't marrying the girl until she graduates, though she believes that they will marry after he does. He seems unsure of himself and I plan to tell him what I think about this later on tonight at the engagement party. I'll understand if you find an excuse out of it. I'll see you at the Farewell Dinner at the Burrow, and I won't allow you to skip that. Keep your head high and smile, don't try to deny anything because I know everything and you know it._

_Love always,_

_Draco_

_

* * *

_***

* * *

The party was drawing to a close and Draco didn't know what to say or do at this point. He and Hermione talked a good portion of the time about the upcoming year, as they were taking the same classes and would both be Heads. He noticed that something was off about her, but he couldn't tell what. It was as if she was putting on a good act, but she was too talented at Occlumens for him to peer into her mind and find out. He worried that she wouldn't talk to any of them about it. She and Weasley hardly spoke the whole night, which was odd for a supposedly happy couple. It didn't bother him one bit, because he had her to himself for most the night. He'd come to crave Granger's company, and he hadn't a reason why. He barely even questioned it anymore. Tomorrow night he'd get to spend even more time with her at the Farewell Dinner that Mrs. Weasley had planned for them all. She had pointedly made sure that he didn't get out of it, not that he was going to try. He had felt uncomfortable at first with her mothering ways, but soon appreciated them and even had a certain appreciation for the Burrow. He thought it was brilliant, despite its many flaws, and he admired that the Weasleys had never let poverty take away their strong will.

Weasley, the red-haired slug spewing dunce that he was, had actually forced Draco into an argument between himself and Potter about the chances of the Chudley Cannons making it to the Quidditch World Cup this year. Potter had said that England International had the Cup in the bag, which Draco agreed with heartedly, and had told Weasley that the Hollyhead Harpies had a better shot than the Cannons. That had gotten Granger and the Weaselette fired up because the Harpies was an all-female Quidditch team and they had joined the argument bringing in the indignation that he would suggest that an all-female team couldn't make it like any other team. The Weasley Twins settled that by saying that the team the Harpies had put together would be the winners because they now had Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet, the best Chasers in the world. They all then agreed whole-heartedly, even Draco. Those girls had been stronger than any Chaser that Slytherin could muster and better looking at that.

On the whole, he'd had a wonderful time, especially with the seemingly official induction into their lives with Quidditch talk. Weasley had told him in a whisper, later on in the evening, that Hermione never participated in Quidditch talk. He told him to be careful mentioning the Harpies from now on around Hermione and keep it to the guys. Then the Weasel had clapped him on the back and smiled. He supposed that it was official then. He knew that he owed this all to Granger, and he didn't know whether to thank her or hit her. He chuckled lightly to himself at the thought. He wasn't sure if being friends with Weasley was a good thing, but he liked that he wasn't in control for once. He was just there, not the fear inspiring, commanding presence, but a true comrade. It was something that he'd wished that he'd had before.

Soon, the many Weasleys started filing out, as well as Lupin and the few other former Order members. The Minister, Kingsley Shaklebolt, had even come. Draco walked with Potter, Granger, Weasley, and the Weaselette out of the house and onto the street. Potter bid Draco and Granger good-bye, shaking hands with Draco and hugging Granger, planting a loving kiss on her forehead. Weasley repeated the actions of his friend, without the kiss and the Weaselette just hugged Hermione. "See you tomorrow, mate." Harry said to him.

"Yeah, you will." Draco chuckled. "What do you think the chances of a Farewell Quidditch match are?" Draco asked, suddenly curious.

Harry and Ron looked at each other smiling. "Definite possibility." Potter replied. Draco smirked back and nodded, then turned to leave. Hermione quickly caught up with him as he walked down the quiet sidewalk.

"I'm happy you came, Draco." She said, walking beside him. He looked at her and nodded. "Are you ok with all this?"

"I am. Thank you, for everything." He told her. She stopped next to a sleek black car and he stopped as well. "Is this yours?" He asked, checking out the amazing machinery. He appreciated the beauty of the sleek vehicle, sitting there in wait like a panther.

"Yes." She said blushing.

"It's beautiful." He wasn't looking at the car. "A Porsche? 911 Turbo?" He asked looking back at the car.

She nodded, putting a caressing, small hand on the sleek paint. "It was an indulgence. I didn't know you knew cars." She told him, looking up into his silver eyes.

"I didn't know you did, either." He smiled, genuinely smiled, at her. He watched her cheeks flush pink again.

"Do you need a ride anywhere?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I'm just going to Apparate home. I'll see you tomorrow." He said, looking right into her honey eyes. She nodded. "Half the night, I waste in sighs. Half in dreams I sorrow after…For the hand," He reached out and took that small, gentle hand from the car and brought it to his lips. "The lips," He laid a gentle kiss on it, then released it. "The eyes." He looked into her eyes.

"For the meeting of tomorrow." She completed. "Tennyson." She was breathless, which hadn't truly been his intent. He didn't actually have intent, just a result, and he needed to be more careful. She smiled brilliantly up at him. "Goodnight, Draco." She said, stepping away from him and opening the door of her car. She gave him one last look before she was lost in the black of the car. The engine purred to life and Draco was soon watching her drive away. He never noticed the green eyes that had watched the whole exchange in curiosity.

Silently cursing himself, he Apparated home, and sat on his bed. What had he been thinking? He hadn't, that was the problem. He was so daft, to pull that with Granger. Most girls were impressed by pretty quotes by unknown authors, but Granger was different, she knew Muggle authors and she would know quotes and he hadn't even meant to do it in the first place. Sure, he valued her friendship, but that was all. The end of it. He couldn't-no, he wouldn't, take advantage of her trust. He would need to be on his guard from now on. She was Granger, a girl that he had tried to mentally destroy for pretty much the whole of his childhood, a girl that had single-handedly saved him from himself last term despite all he had done to her. She deserved more than that. She deserved someone like Potter, a noble sort of gent, not some ponce that had tormented her for 6 years. She deserved better than him.

Draco looked at himself in his mirror. Staring back at him were sad silver eyes behind dark lashes, his blond hair framed his eyes, his lips were parted and he seemed even paler than usual. He wore a black button up and dark wash jeans, nothing humble about his appearance. She had looked bloody fantastic in the designer outfit that she'd worn and her car was not humble, but it seemed different when she indulged. He didn't even know where she'd gotten the money for that car or her outfit or the flat that she shared with Blair. Blair had probably given her the money, but he doubted it. No, she worked for every penny, and that made her indulgences different. Made her human, something he doubted he had ever been. He was rarely anything but perfect, something that had been bred into him. That wasn't human. That was cloned, mechanical, nothing. He needed to stop this before it started.

He wasn't going to the Farewell Dinner.

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_Attention: Ok, I am going to warn you all that the chapters won't all be this long. I didn't intend on it running as long as it did. I hope you enjoyed it. This is going chapter by chapter, the more reviews I get, the more likely I am to post more. I also have a Challenge for all of you:_

Who are the other 6 members of Hermione and Blair's Unit at Charade?

_To help, though I doubt it will, I will give you their File Names, Mission Names, and House Initial, you fill in the rest._

**Key:** File Name--Mission Name--House Initial

Z--Crow--S

D--Raven--G

A--Baby--H

F--Flame--H

C--Ice--R

P--Sin--S

_Submit in reviews. Thank you and see you next chapter._


	2. In My Finest Attitude

**Charades**

A Draco/Hermione Story

**Summary: **At the end of her 5th year, Hermione was offered a post in a secret company in exchange for the knowledge of what was to come of the future. It's been one year and she's helped defeat Voldemort with the knowledge she gained, but can she keep her secrets from her friends? Who will be the first one to figure out what is wrong with her? Does love really conquer all? Post HBP, not DH compliant. OC characters involved.

**Disclaimer:** I neither own Harry Potter and its affiliated characters nor the song Charades.

**Pairings:** None yet, but it's coming.

**Author's Note: **Ok. So, the winner of the Challenge is ProwlingKitKat. One question: how did you guess? LOL. Good work.

I also couldn't wait to get this chapter up. Enjoy.

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**Last Chapter: **

_He didn't even know where she'd gotten the money for that car or her outfit or the flat that she shared with Blair. Blair had probably given her the money, but he doubted it. No, she worked for every penny, and that made her indulgences different. Made her human, something he doubted he had ever been. He was rarely anything but perfect, something that had been bred into him. That wasn't human. That was cloned, mechanical, nothing. He needed to stop this before it started. _

_He wasn't going to the Farewell Dinner. _

_

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_**Chapter 2:** In My Finest Attitude

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9:50 AM saw Hermione and Blair walking into Varden Manor, both looking fiercely beautiful. Hermione's long, curly honey hair was down hanging over her shoulders. She was clad in a black, tunic length sleeveless shirt. The shirt was open in the front held together by a single black button that closed at the set of her cleavage. The outfit showed off how well toned her honey body was and revealed her naval piercing that she'd gotten after the war ended, adorned at the moment with a diamond ring with a cross dangling from it. Her shapely legs were clad in fitted blue jeans and she wore black suede stiletto boots.

Blair had her straight, dark mahogany hair down as well. She was wearing a black halter vest, accentuating her small, muscular frame. The halter had a deep V-neck and was held together by two black buttons. Her muscular stomach was bare as well as her back and shoulders. All she wore underneath the halter was a red shiny satin bra, that would make appearances in glimpses. Her skin held no hint at a tan, but was perfect porcelain sheen. She too had a naval piercing, with a simple diamond ring adorning it. She wore low rider jeans that were acid-wash boot cut, showed off her shapely legs and her tight ass. Her feet were clad in black peep toe pumps.

Hermione's makeup was in light hues of bronze and black liner. Her lips were dressed in a rose color. Blair's was in shades of brown, with black liner and mascara, her lips dawned in a burgundy color. To the outside eye, they both looked like supermodels. They both walked across the wide empty floor.

Varden was a massive structure. The outside looked like a Manor house, but the inside was strictly business. Once you entered, it was much larger and open than one would suspect. The whole building was in colors of tan and brown, with geometric patterns. The second and third floors were visible from the lobby, a glass lined stairway took you up to each floor. It was lit with electricity, an oddity in the magical world. To their right was a desk, with one of the older Charadens manning it. The girls walked over and Hermione spoke, "Trance and Honey to check in. We're supposed to see Lilah and Xavier." The woman looked at them, checked their names off of a list, and pointed her pen to the stairs.

Both girls crossed the lobby floor. The building wasn't busy, but many Charadens were their walking from the RecRoom, where they worked on their physical strength and honed their combat skills. The psychiatric division was on the third floor, about 12 healers for the whole building. Each member of a Unit had a different healer. They walked up to the executive floor that was the second floor, where Xavier and Lilah's offices were, as well as a board room, a meeting room for clients, a Memory Room for the few Charadens that actually left to be cleansed of most of their memories, and some sleeping quarters.

When they reached the top of the floor, the girls split up. Hermione entering Lilah Hart's office and Blair entering Xavier Wolfe's. Hermione walked in, head held high, praying that she didn't have a mission tonight. Lilah smiled at her briefly, standing and waiting. Hermione went to the chairs in front of her desk and they shook hands. "Good morning, Lilah." Hermione said politely sitting down.

"To you as well, Honey. How did the Task go last night?" Hart asked.

Hermione shivered involuntarily. "It went well. He attempted to get rough, but he was dealt with simply enough." Hermione told the older witch.

"Rough? How?" Hart questioned, making a note in the file.

"I serviced him as was agreed in the contract, then made to leave. He tried to stop me, I wiped his memories before he had an opportunity to attempt anything." She spoke clearly, since the older witch was writing it all down in her file.

"Thank you, Honey. You are free until Christmas, but there are the usual exceptions of course." Hart told her. She sighed with relief, but wasn't completely at ease. Someone could request her, or she could be the first on the alternate list, or any other countless reasons that would require her to leave school and go on Task. She wasn't looking forward to that again. "I suggest visiting Healer Carter before you leave. The RecRoom is also an option. Other than that, you are dismissed." Hart concluded. Hermione and Lilah both stood, shook hands, then she left. Hermione didn't need to visit the Healer, she knew that now she'd had her Task filed, she didn't need it anymore, so she simply removed the rest of that from her mind. She took in a breath. Now she had the memory of being assigned the Task, but no memory of it.

She walked down the stairs to wait for Blair in the lobby when she saw Crow coming out of the RecRoom. He noticed her and walked over to her. "Hey, Honey. How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Fine. Did you have a Task last night?" She asked him.

He shook his head. "No, I just came in to work out. Excited about tomorrow?" He asked.

"I am. I won't miss having a Task every other day, lying to my friends…" She trailed off and he just nodded. "What about you?"

"I'm looking forward to it. Everyone pretty much is. You know, our evaluations are at the end of the year? We can opt out if we want to then." He told her. She smiled at that thought. She'd signed a contract to stay for two years, like the others had. The two year evaluation was up and any of them could leave. She didn't know who all would want to stay, she wasn't sure if she even wanted to leave—it was so hard, being what they were, but she felt a loyalty to Charade. She had a well, overly well-paid job that sometimes sucked, but had it's perks. One of those perks was her Porsche, another was her new figure and look, she enjoyed the perks. She hated the stress, the constant use of magic, the bureaucracy, the hypocrisy, and she wasn't the only one.

"Will you?" She asked.

Crow seemed to think about it for awhile before answering, "I think it really depends on the rest of you. If you girls want to give it up, I will. Raven, Flame, and Ice can take care of themselves, so if they stay— "

"We can take care of ourselves too, Bla-Crow." She was nearly called him his name in her indignation. He just smiled at her as more of their Unit came up. Sin and Baby were discussing something as they approached them. "Hello, guys." Hermione said. Sin looked at her and smiled. Baby seemed worried about something. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"She got asked out. For real, no pay." Sin explained, pulling her short black hair behind her pale ear. She wore tight black stretch pants and a sports bra on her tall physique. Baby's strawberry blonde hair was tied back, her blue eyes distraught. She wore a hot pink halter top and white dress pants, making her pale skin with red undertones pop.

"Who asked you?" Crow asked, his voice said he was ready to fight.

"Neville Longbottom." She said and Crow nearly started to laugh. His full lips nearly betrayed him as he tried to put a dark skinned hand over his both before it broke out. His dark eyes were betraying him though. "I really like him, but—he wouldn't be able to accept this part of me. How do I tell him that I won't be able to make this date or that? How can I expect him to understand, without explanation?" She was crying again. Crow straightened out, seeing the pain that she held, realizing it wasn't a joke. His stood tall, his 6 foot 3 dark frame towering over everyone except Sin's 5'8" disposition. He wore black basketball shorts on his dark brown muscular legs and a black sleeveless tee-shirt over his strong torso.

"Just don't tell him. It's one date, right, Baby?" He asked. She nodded. "Then worry about the future when it comes. We have until Christmas before we have to worry about Tasks, mostly. So put this out of your head and just enjoy yourself." He said, his deep baritone soothing visibly soothing her. Hermione smiled up at him. He was really great at playing Big Brother for everyone. He did his best for them all and he worked really hard at it. Baby dried her tears and smiled at him. Ice and Flame came up as Blair was walking down the stairs. Ice was wearing Ravenclaw colors, blue tee-shirt that stuck to him from sweat and black track shorts. Flame was wearing a white wife-beater over his pale muscular skin and fitted blue jeans. He wasn't sweating, his short brown hair was spiked and must've been on a call-in. Blair was talking to Raven as they joined the group. Raven wasn't as tall as Crow, but his skin was just as dark and rich. He was wearing a dark blue dress shirt and black dress pants. His head wasn't bald like Crow's either, he had a short mass of thick dark curls that he now kept trimmed to mere centimeters long. His eyes were a shade or two lighter, and he was nearly as protective. They joined the rest of their comrades, all joined in the lobby for the last time until Christmas. The school year would be hard on all of them as they were even closer this year than they had been last.

The boys were extremely close, especially Crow and Raven. They were roommates, living at the Manor in the sleeping quarters. Flame and Ice roomed together in a flat near Blair and Hermione's, Sin had stayed at her home, but slept over at Baby's a lot. They all spent as much as time as possible with each other, however, during the school term, they wouldn't be able to. Hermione and Blair could, Flame and Ice could, but Sin and Crow were in Slytherin, therefore forbidden to talk to the others. Crow could talk to Sin, Blair (though only rarely), and Ice. Hermione could talk to everyone except Crow and Sin. Sin had the same limitations as Crow. Raven the same as Hermione. Slytherins and Gryffindors couldn't communicate. The only exception now being Draco Malfoy, because who was really going to stop him? Crow and Sin wouldn't let it get in their way, if it weren't for the fact that all of their covers would be blown to hell.

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Harry was alone for the first time today. He sat on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Ginny had been called home and Ron was off to Diagon Alley for some broom polish. He was lost in thoughts, trying to find a rational subject. He thought about what he'd seen pass between Hermione and Malfoy the night before. From the look of it, it was innocent enough, but he'd had the feeling that it wasn't the end of it. He knew what was coming, even if no one else did. And he'd decided that he was ok with it as long as Hermione was. When it happened, because he was sure it wasn't an if, he would be at her side. Ron was questionable, though he'd spoken up about the fact that he'd been ok with Malfoy. They were still dating, even if it wasn't for anything other than convenience. Harry wondered if he had been jealous—yes, he was a bit jealous. He wasn't really sure why; was it because he'd slept with her? Was it because she was his best friend? Or could it be that he could see it really working between them?

Ever since Malfoy had said that Harry and Ginny weren't right for each other, he'd been reanalyzing his relationship with her. So far, he'd come up with four things they had in common: 1. they both had been violated by Voldemort in one form or another. 2. They both loved Quidditch. 3. They were both friends with Hermione. And lastly, they both loved the Weasleys. Was that enough to get them through the rest of their lives? Hell, he had more in common with Hermione than he did Ginny. Should he punish her? Make her marry someone when they would end up hating each other? He'd tried to chalk this all up to Malfoy being Malfoy, but the blond Slytherin was incredibly perceptive and he had the feeling that he wasn't the only one that thought that way. When he'd told Hermione, he'd seen something in her eyes. Some sort of warning sign. He'd thought that maybe it was because of what happened between them, but he doubted it since they had never talked about it.

And his thoughts also turned on Blair. He'd missed not talking to her last night. He would see her tonight, sure, but he'd never get a spare moment with her. He knew that. He didn't really know why he thought about her so much. Maybe it was because she wasn't around as much as she was during the War and school term. He'd fought at her side, spent all amounts of time with her uninhibited. Ginny had been under the protection of her family when he went out onto the battlefields. When he had been destroying the Horcruxes, Blair had been with him. He closed his eyes and he could see her in front of him. Her pale complexion, her dark eyes, her small figure, her smile—she was just out of reach. Why was he reaching for her? He was supposed to be happily engaged.

The doorbell rang and Mrs. Black started to scream. Who used that bloody bell? He got out of bed and went down the stairs and to the front door. He opened it, ignoring the wails of the portrait and his breath hitched. "Blair." He said, stupidly.

She stood there, her beautiful, entrancing face, unsure. She wore nothing but one of those halter-vests and a pair of hip-hugging jeans. She had her brown eyes looking up into his green ones. "Good morning, Harry. I'm not disturbing you, am I?" She asked, loudly over the still screaming portrait of Mrs. Black.

"Not at all. Come in." He said opening the door wider for her. She crossed the threshold and he noticed that she had a shopping bag with her. He closed the door behind her and motioned for her follow him into the silent bliss that was the kitchen. She followed and he couldn't help but wonder why she had come. Just when he was thinking about her too. "How's your grandmother?" He asked not wanting to be rude.

"She's better. Thank you for asking." She said politely back. She sat the shopping bag on the table. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it last night. Hermione told me that it was a great party."

"It was ok. And you have a perfectly legitimate reason to avoid this place." He said looking around the kitchen. She just shook her head.

"I wanted to give you this, but I didn't want to give it to you at dinner. Open it." She said, shifting the bag towards him. He took it and put his hand inside, pulling out a black leather jacket. The tag on the inside of the collar read Armani. On the right hand side, on the lining, was a label. _To Harry, with Love. Happy Birthday._ "Do you like it?" She asked.

"I love it." He told her, smiling. "You didn't have to get this for me."

"I know, but I didn't want to be the only one to not give you a gift for your birthday. I didn't want you to think that I forgot." She told him. "I ordered it before the final battle. It took a while to ship in from Italy, but I saw it in the magazine and thought of you." A light dust of pink graced her pale cheeks when she added that. He pulled the jacket on.

"Perfect fit." He smiled at her and pulled her into a hug. She was small and easily enveloped in his frame. Her hands were on his back, underneath the jacket, and she held him tight against her. "Thank you." He said, kissing the top of her dark hair. They stayed like that for a few minutes before both let go and they looked at each other. Harry felt the overwhelming desire to kiss her. He wanted to, everything in him begged to touch her soft lips with his. But, he thought about Ginny, about how he'd betrayed her once, he couldn't do that again. Sure, he hadn't been dating Ginny when he slept with Hermione, but he had lied to her about it. He couldn't do that to Ginny, even though the girl he held at the moment was slowly burning herself into his heart. "Why didn't you sign the label?" He asked, suddenly realizing that her name was no where on his new favorite jacket.

"I didn't want Ginny to know it was from me. I didn't want her to burn it or make you give it back. That's one of the reasons I wanted to give it to you in private. This way, she can't take it back." She told him honestly, not sparing any feelings he might've had on the subject.

"I wouldn't have let her, but thank you for making it easier." She reached up and kissed his cheek. She pulled back and smiled at him.

"I have to go; I can't wear this to Mrs. Weasley's." She said, pulling away from him entirely and grabbing the shopping bag. Harry walked her to the door, finding words escaping him. When they reached the door, she turned to him. "See you tonight?" She made it a question.

"Definitely. Malfoy was talking about a Quidditch match, so wear something broom-worthy." He ordered good-naturedly.

"How about I wear something feminine and sit this one out?" She asked, smiling at him.  
"Whichever works for you, but you'll be missing out on some fun." He told her, smiling back. She rolled her eyes and walked to the other side of the threshold. He felt the urge to kiss her again, nearly taking him over, but he controlled himself, or at least he did a little bit, because he pulled her into another gentle embrace. This one lasted only seconds and they both pulled apart and she walked out to the sidewalk to her car, a dark grey new model Ferrari 430 Spider. As she walked away, her straight hair was caught by the wind and he noticed a tattoo at the base of her neck, in between her shoulder blades. He smiled. The top on her car was currently down and he couldn't believe just how amazing it was to know such a girl. She made his pulse race and all logic to escape his mind; he'd nearly kissed her twice. He needed to not be alone with her for too long or he might not be able to hold back. He needed to talk to someone, but who could he talk to about this? Not Ron, he was engaged to his sister. Not Hermione, she would think that he was being rash and irresponsible. Who?

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As Blair drove home, she thought about Harry. Had she done the right thing? Giving him his gift like that? The rules of propriety that she'd been brought up with told her that she had been wrong. Not only had she given him something far more expensive than what anyone else had given him, but she'd given it to him without his fiancée's knowledge. She hoped now that Harry wouldn't tell anyone where he got an Armani leather jacket. She knew that if he wore it, they'd ask questions, especially the Weaselette. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could she have done that?

She pulled into the parking garage and parked next to Hermione's Porsche and enabled the alarm. She walked into the building and up to their floor. The flat was large, more of a penthouse than a flat, but that suited them both fine. Hermione was currently on the couch, reading a thick volume that Blair suspected was the latest Arithmancy purchase for the year. Blair went down the hallway and entered her room. She had about two hours to get ready, before they were due at the Burrow.

She entered her walk-in closet and looked among her dresses. She had quite a variety but had to think of respectfulness and the lack of formality that this dinner was going to have. The boys will be dawning jeans and tee-shirts, probably everybody will. She was never one for dressing down and she wanted to wear a dress. The thought of playing Quidditch was perfect to her, it would clear her head, but she wanted to be feminine, or at least a little feminine. She found a white spaghetti-strapped form fitted dress with a V-neck that hit her mid-thigh and a white rose-lace dress with long sleeves and the same V. The lace would flow away from the dress underneath and give it a nice effect. She grabbed a pair of white-metallic stiletto sandals from the bottom of the closet to go with, and brought them out to her bed. She placed her selections on the bed and went into her bathroom.

When she had finished showering, she magically dried her hair and began on her makeup. As a general rule, she did dark colors, but decided to lighten it up a bit for this. Her eye shadow was a deep bronze, her liner black, her mascara the same. Her lips were ornamented with a supple red-pink color. She had to admit, it looked good. She brushed her hair, deciding to leave it down, and put a white ribbon medium thickness headband with a bow in her hair. She went into the bedroom and dressed, then looked in the floor length mirror beside her dresser. She looked good, modest but still sexy, a look she loved. The lace over-dress was just an inch longer than the cotton dress underneath, giving it a nice effect. She added a silver necklace with a heart locket to the ensemble and declared herself ready. She looked at the clock; they had about fifteen minutes now. She grabbed a white purse with a gold chain strap, ornamented with a bow to match her headband, and put her wallet, wand, and cell phone into the purse. She slung it over her shoulder and walked out of her room and into the living room.

Hermione was waiting; wearing a red A-line chiffon dress with an Empire-waist dawned with a red ribbon. Her shoes were red satin peep toe stiletto pumps and she had a red clutch. Her curly honey brown hair was up in a high pony tail, tied with a red ribbon. Her makeup was in modest hues of tan, her lips were pink. She smiled at Blair. "Ready?" She asked. Blair nodded and they Disapparated.

They arrived at the Burrow with plenty of time; everyone was already there, waiting on them. The Weaselette rushed to Hermione, wearing a white sundress with cherries all over it and a red cardigan. She gushed over how beautiful Hermione looked without even glancing at Blair. But, Blair could hardly care, as she locked eyes with a green eyed be-spectacled boy, wearing blue jeans, tennis shoes, and a blue tee-shirt under a leather jacket. He walked up to them and her heart skipped a beat. Hermione and Weaselette were chattering away, but her focus was on Harry. He reached them, smiling at her. "You look great." He said.

The Weaselette turned to him. "Doesn't she though?" She said, thinking that he meant Hermione. Then she noticed Blair. "Well, Radcliffe, decide to condescend to visit?" She sneered.

Harry rolled his eyes. Blair tore her gaze away from the Boy Who Lived long enough to reply, "Wouldn't want to miss a good game of Quidditch, would I?" Ginny then decided to ignore her as the four of them walked to the rest of the dinner party. Harry didn't take his eyes off of her, and she could feel the weight of his gaze. Ginny then drug Hermione into the house, leaving them alone for the moment. "Hi." She said in barely a whisper.

"Hi." He returned. "I thought you weren't going to play?" He asked.

"Who said that?" She replied, smiling at him.

He looked at the hem of her skirt and she laughed. "I don't want you to straddle a broom in that short a skirt, the audience will get far more than they paid for." He said laughing with her.

"Shut up." She joked, slapping his leather-clad arm. "Have they asked about it?"

He shook his head. "I think they figured that it was Sirius's or something." He told her, his smile faltering a bit. She kept her hand on his upper arm, comforting him with small movements, but she couldn't help but notice the muscle underneath the jacket. He was well-toned to be sure, especially for someone who wasn't in Charade. His green eyes looked at her, they were sad and unsure. She knew that he missed his godfather, having had so little time with him to begin with. He'd lost nearly every parental figure that he'd ever had and she could relate. Her parents had been killed during the War, for not joining the Death Eaters. Voldemort had visited personally. "Why'd you dress up anyway?" He asked, changing the subject.

She shrugged. "I felt like it. I didn't want to look shabby, and the outfit I had on earlier was inappropriate." She told him.

"Inappropriate? It wasn't inappropriate." He told her. "No one would've minded anyway." He added. She looked in those emerald eyes and could tell that he was teasing her, but he was serious at the same time.

"Ginny would." She reminded him.

He sighed and put an arm around her, leading her to the crowded backyard. There were tables set up in a long line. Mr. Weasley was talking to Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shaklebolt, the Weasley Twins and Charlie were discussing something a few feet from them, and Percy and his wife, Penelope, were talking with Bill and Fleur. Fleur was keeping an eye on a playpen set up a few feet away that held Victoire and Teddy. Harry kept his arm on her shoulders as they navigated through the crowd, reaching the playpen where a tall, blond man was playing pick-a-boo with the two babies.

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* * *

He went to the Farewell Dinner.

Draco didn't know why, but he couldn't stay away. He vowed that he would be very careful around Hermione. When he'd arrived at the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley started gushing that he doesn't eat enough and he had the suspicion that he was going to end up being stuffed with seconds and thirds. Potter and Weasley had provided conversation for a while, before Weasley went up to his room for something. Then Potter had caught sight of Blair and Granger, and he and the Weaselette went off to them. Wanting to avoid awkwardness with Hermione, he opted to go spend sometime by the children. Despite what anyone might believe, Draco loved kids. He couldn't wait to have a family of his own. A real one, not the show that his mother and father had put on for the first 16 years of his life.

When the war came, Draco saw his father's true colors and was amazed that he'd been wrong—his father really was an evil bastard. His father had gleefully tortured him for not killing Dumbledore and his mother had stepped in the way before the Killing Curse hit him. His father was killed soon after, for some reason that Draco forgot. He looked up from his game of pick-a-boo and saw Harry and Blair looking at him, smiles on their faces. He stood up tall, straightened his white oxford dress shirt and dusted off his jeans. Ordinarily, one would try to dispel his attentiveness to the babies by making up a lame excuse, but not Draco Malfoy. No one would judge him here, so he just shrugged in response to Potter's questioning eyes.

He was surprised, to be sure, when he showed up at the Burrow to see Potter sporting a brand new Armani leather jacket, but now, judging by his arm around Draco's favorite cousin's shoulders, he needn't guess where the Boy Who Lived received his upper crust new look. He walked around the pen to Blair and kissed her cheek. "How are you?" He asked, studying her face. Potter's arm had shifted from her shoulders to the small of her back. Did Potter realize how possessive he had just become? The gesture of moving the arm was a sign of trust for Draco, but he hadn't removed himself completely, displaying dominance. Draco should know; he'd done that many times with the few girlfriends that he'd ever gotten. Judging by the look in Blair's eyes, she didn't mind.

"Very well, thank you." She said, smiling at him. Her brown eyes met his blue ones, telling him that she was very well at the moment. She didn't realize the implications that she'd made with the jacket, he knew immediately. She also didn't realize Potter's actions. His cousin had never been much of a dater. At the Yule Ball in their 4th year, she'd gone with Blaise Zabini out of convenience more than desire. He always wondered if she thought that the men in their year were beneath her. That she was holding out for something better. He now believed that maybe she had been unconsciously waiting for Potter.

"You look brilliant." He complimented. She looked at her outfit self-consciously. "Bloody brilliant." He rectified. She blushed, never being one for taking compliments well.

Potter smiled down at her. "Told you." He said, joking with her easily. Draco noticed how well they complemented each other. Both were wealthy, strong, parentless, brilliant Quidditch players, loved Defense Against the Dark Arts, wanted to be Aurors, and a million other things. He felt his heart break for his loving cousin, Potter was engaged, marrying soon to a Weasley, and she wouldn't find her happiness.

"So, are we playing or what?" Weasley said, coming up with his broom over his shoulder. Potter and Draco both smiled and nodded. Blair stayed by the pen while the boys went to get their brooms. Draco needed to fly; he needed to clear his head of everything. He was worrying about Blair, worrying about himself…

The game lasted about an hour, Potter's team versus Charlie's team. Potter's team was made up of Draco, Ron, and Bill. Charlie's team was the Twins and Ginny, who had changed out of her dress and into pants for the game. It was fun and vigorous, and Potter won, as per usual. They were greeted on the victory field by Blair and Hermione who ran up as soon as their brooms touched the ground. He was shocked to receive a very warm hug and a kiss on the cheek from Hermione, and judging by the blush she wore after she pulled back, so was she. At the time, he just smiled and pulled her into another hug, before she turned to Potter. Blair had given him a kiss on the opposite cheek and he suspected that he had lipstick prints now, but ignored it as he wrapped an arm around her to talk to Potter.

Soon, it was time for dinner. Hermione sat between him and Harry, with Blair to Harry's left. Ron and his sister sat on the other side of the table, Weasley still talking animatedly about the game. Fleur and Mrs. Weasley had feed the babies first and taken them up to the nursery (Ron said that it was Percy's old room). Blair had chastised him for using Seeker moves while playing Chaser, which he'd just laughed at and stated clearly that he was a Seeker, just like she was, like Potter was, and like Charlie had been. He noticed that Ginny really didn't seem to like her, which seemed confusing since the littlest Weasley didn't seem to have a problem with him.

He tried to avoid talking to Hermione, but she had a commanding presence. When all the others had formed separate conversations, she turned to him. "Are you ok?" She whispered.

"Fine, why?" He whispered back.

"You're being distant." She observed. He looked at her. She had a worried look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm just thinking." He told her honestly, he was thinking. Thinking about too much.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, putting a gentle hand on his arm. He felt a spark rushing through his blood from her touch.

"Not at present. Maybe later." He promised. He could discuss Blair and Potter, if not his growing attraction to her and his involuntary moves. He could tell that she wasn't satisfied with his response, but she let it go and returned to her mash.

When dinner was over, he decided to take a walk. The property was large enough for a good clearing of the head, and no one seemed to notice, since Potter and the Weaselette were fighting about her latest jabs at Blair. He had tried to stand up for her, but Blair just told him to take a walk and that she would handle it. He saw what she was doing, protecting him, his new place in Potter's circle of friends, and she didn't want him to loose that since he'd already lost so much. It had been that way for most of their lives, someone would make fun of her and he would do his best to protect her, but she wouldn't let him, she didn't want him to loose anything. She was strong, stubborn, and self-reliant. He just let her do it, like he did when they were children, taking things on the chin so he wouldn't suffer the consequences. It used to piss him off, but now, he saw that it was what made her strong. She wasn't affected by insults, because she knew the reasons behind them. Jealousy, pride, those basic human emotions that caused people to lash out. He wished that he was as strong as she was.

He thought about Potter's reactions to her. If the man wasn't careful, he would fall in love with her, if he wasn't already. Potter was in just as much danger as Draco was. He hadn't been able to resist the honey scent of Hermione on the field, she was like Kryptonite. He had read a Superman comic as a child; Kryptonite was the only thing that could weaken him. Hermione was his Kryptonite. She was weakening him without even realizing it.

* * *

***

* * *

Hermione had watched Draco walk away, skimming the perimeter of the property. She hadn't meant to be so exuberant when he and Harry won the mini-Quidditch game in the clearing. She had just wanted to be in his arms, a desire that she hadn't been able to fight at the moment. He hadn't seemed to mind, but then he'd increasingly distanced himself throughout dinner. Last night, he'd been so romantic, so gentle and tender. She hadn't expected it, but she found herself not minding. She knew that she couldn't be with him; real relationships were out for her. Ron, Ron didn't count. He wasn't a real boyfriend. She had a hard enough time not telling her friends about what she did; she was deceiving him enough already without putting the complications of a relationship behind it.

Not that he would want to be in a relationship with her to begin with. He could have his pick of any girl in the world, she wasn't sure that he'd even be on his list. He was just a friend. An extremely good-looking, tall, muscular, heartthrob of a friend. She had one of those already and she never presumed that Harry would want a relationship with her—then again, they had slept together. Still, she wasn't going to make assumptions, especially when she couldn't have the assumed relationship anyway. She did, however, want to be his friend and a friend didn't let another walk around by themselves, or get away with being distant at a friendly gathering without explanation. _Hypocrite_, she thought as she walked to where he was, catching up with him quickly despite her heels. She doubted that he noticed as she slipped her arm into his, his hands thrust in the front pockets of his jeans, looking at the ground. But, her doubts were wrong, as he turned a smirk to her in response. "What are you doing, Granger?" He asked his voice filled with laughter.

"Spending some time with my friend, what about you?" She asked, giving a smirk of her own.

He chuckled. "The same." He said, turning his gaze back to the path that they were walking.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong, Draco? You know you can tell me anything." She told him.

He looked back at her, stopping briefly. "I know." He resumed walk, so did she. "I just don't think that this is something you can help me with." He told her, his silver eyes haunted. She was truly concerned about him. He glanced over at the dinner party and so did she. "What do you think of Blair and Potter's relationship?" He asked, curious. They could see the two people in question at that moment. Blair was sitting next to Remus at the table, stealing glances at Harry who was having a heated discussion with Ginny.

"I'm not sure." She replied honestly. "I think that they would make an amazing couple. Their incredibly good-looking, talented, and just genuinely good people. But Harry has a sense of duty and honor; he wouldn't betray Ginny more than he already has." Oops, she hadn't meant to say that last bit. Draco stared at her.

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously.

She took in a breath. "I'll tell you some other day." She promised. He nodded, letting it go as easily as it was brought up.

"I wish that he would be with her. She deserves some happiness." He sighed, looking back at their walking path. He hadn't made a move to remove her arm from his, and she found him extremely comforting and comfortable.

"We all do." She whispered, resting her head on his arm as they trekked around the rest of the property.

* * *

_Attention: Thanks to all who reviewed, all three that is. I decided to grace you with yet another chapter._

_Results of the Challenge:_

Z--Crow--S= Blaise Zabini

D--Raven--G= Dean Thomas

A--Baby--H= Hannah Abbott

F--Flame--H= Justin Finch-Fletchley

C--Ice--R= Michael Corner

P--Sin--S= Pansy Parkinson

_Congratulations once again to ProwlingKitKat for her excellent deductions. PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK._

_And I did give you a large chapter again, but I remind you they may not all be this long, so don't get spoiled. Also, new chapters won't always come this fast. Thank you for reading. See you next Chapter.  
_


	3. Pretending I Don't Care

**Charades**

A Draco/Hermione Story

**Summary: **At the end of her 5th year, Hermione was offered a post in a secret company in exchange for the knowledge of what was to come of the future. It's been one year and she's helped defeat Voldemort with the knowledge she gained, but can she keep her secrets from her friends? Who will be the first one to figure out what is wrong with her? Does love really conquer all? Post HBP, not DH compliant. OC characters involved.

**Disclaimer:** I neither own Harry Potter and its affiliated characters nor the song Charades.

**Pairings:** None yet, but hey, you outta know by now...

**Author's Note: **Well, I love all the reviews…thanks for the attention to detail…anyway; I do actually want to thank **write-this-song** for your breaking against the mold and reviewing for me, I love knowing if someone really likes my stuff. Thank you for also commenting on the Blair/Harry/Ginny triangle; because this isn't just a love story for Draco and Hermione, it's a love story for them all.

THIS IS A REPOST....The original post had a brain fart on the author of Moby Dick, and everyone was bitching about it. I'd _accidentally_ put down Charles Dickens as the author because I was distracted by Dickens' Nicholas Nickelby at that moment. So here's a _corrected_ version...

* * *

**Last Chapter: **

"_I wish that he would be with her. She deserves some happiness." He sighed, looking back at their walking path. He hadn't made a move to remove her arm from his, and she found him extremely comforting and comfortable. _

"_We all do." She whispered, resting her head on his arm as they trekked around the rest of the property._

_

* * *

_**Chapter 3: **Pretending I Don't Care

* * *

_**Two Weeks Later…**_

**Former Minister of Magic Found Dead**

_On Saturday, August 30__th__, former Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, 64, was found dead in his home in Manchester by his wife, Angelica, 59, _writes Marissa Hoydens, special correspondent._ Fudge appeared to have transformed his favorite book, _Moby Dick_, written by famed Squib author Herman Melville, into a muggle weapon (firearm) and then proceeded to end his own life. The suicide note was written, addressing the wizarding world at large, expressing his regret of being "a terrible Minister for Magic and the cause of the second Wizarding War, the deaths of result in the war, and the reticule of Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore." The family will be holding a private ceremony in the former Minister's home town of Dublin, Ireland on the third of September._

Harry had read the Daily Prophet through several times. The fact that Cornelius Fudge had shot himself had rocked him to the core, even more so since the article was so small in the Prophet. Harry knew Fudge, knew his character, and Fudge wouldn't have killed himself over countless lives being lost nor would he feel remorseful over trying to ruin Dumbledore's standing in the wizarding community. Even if Harry were wrong and Fudge would feel himself the blame for what happened, he doubted that Fudge would take his own life and with a Muggle weapon none-the-less. It simply wasn't possible. Something was wrong with that whole scenario.

When he entered the Great Hall that morning, the whole room was filled with chatter, undoubtedly over the suicide of the former Minister. He walked over to Gryffindor table, stealing a glance at Blair before seating himself beside Hermione. He inquired if she'd seen the Prophet and she just shrugged, which caused him some distress. This wasn't his Hermione, his Hermione would be discussing the possibilities that he was attacked and it merely looked like an accident or saying that perhaps he really did feel bad enough to take his own life. She said nothing though, and had the air of indifference.

Ron merely ate his food while Ginny grumbled about their day in Hogsmeade and being forced to spend the day with Blair. She'd been trying to talk Hermione into it just being the four of them, like it used to be, but Hermione just pointed out that it had never been just the four of them, it used to be just her, Harry, and Ron and that if she didn't want to be excluded as well, she should just live with the fact that Malfoy and Blair were apart of their lives. A part that Hermione had no intention of giving up.

Harry agreed with his bookworm friend. He had come to rely on, in the past few weeks, Malfoy's insight and attitude towards the people and situations about him. Draco seemed to be so indifferent to people's thoughts about him or actions against him, he maintained his ever-so-arrogant persona and he didn't let things eat away at him—well, he appeared to not let things eat away at him. Harry knew his new friend well, and whenever Hermione was brought up or around, Draco seemed to be happier but more depressed at the same time. Harry knew the source of this; Draco didn't believe himself worthy of Hermione because of his past crimes. That, Harry didn't agree with.

And then there was Blair, the very thought of her made his blood rush in his veins and his heart quicken. She was life, effervescent and beautiful. When he managed to steal glances at her, butterflies the size of bats would fly around in his stomach until he looked away. He spent his nights dreaming of her beauty and his days trying to resist what his heart told him to do. He—he couldn't be with her, as much as he wanted.

Realizing that no one was concerned with what happened with Fudge as he was, he put the paper aside and ate his breakfast before all of them rose and went outside the castle to wait on Blair and Draco. The day was going to be diverting for all of them…well maybe not Ginny. She was probably going to spend the entire time criticizing Blair in Harry's ear.

They were all in Muggle clothing: Harry was wearing dark wash jeans, an olive tee-shirt, his leather jacket, and some new trainers that he'd gotten over the summer. Ron was wearing a black tee-shirt, jeans, and well-used trainers. Hermione, well, Hermione was the picture of perfection as usual. She wore a deep kind of crimson colored halter top and dark wash skinny jeans with black high-heeled boots. Her honey brown locks were up in a high pony tail and her makeup was expertly done so that she looked as if she wore none at all, except for the lipstick that matched her blouse. Ginny wore a simple light blue tee-shirt material cotton dress that hit her knees and matching ballet flats. She wore no makeup.

Harry had his hands in the pockets of his jacket, rocking his feet on the ground, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Draco and Blair. When he saw her, he stopped rocking immediately and just stared at her. She was so beautiful, wearing a red satin cropped blouse that rapped around her expertly. The neck scooped, giving the hint of cleavage without throwing it out there. Harry was surprised to see a belly-button ring that had a red ruby encrusted in it. Her pants were fitted leather pants that were tucked into dark red suede boots that were slouching on her calf with an inch high heel. Around her neck was a simple gold cross. Her hair was half way up, and her makeup was its usual darkly elegant, her lipstick was a pearly red sheen. Harry had only remembered to breathe when a sharp blow to the ribs from Ron's elbow hit him.

She smiled shyly up at him, Draco handing her a suede jacket that matched her boots. It was a three quarter length jacket and she began to put it on, but Harry stepped up to hold it out for her, she slipped into it easily, and then turned to smile brilliantly at him. _Breathe, Potter_. He thought. _Breathe._ She watched him with her dark eyes, a twinkling light shining in them. "Thank you, Harry." She said finally.

"Anytime." He replied. She backed away and was replaced by Ginny's cross features. Harry cleared his throat. "Come on, no use dawdling." He told everyone turning around and walking in the direction of the village. Everyone followed instantly. Draco caught up with him and walked beside him. He was wearing a green turtleneck shirt and black trousers, with black trainers.

"What's up with you, Potter?" Draco asked quietly.

Harry glanced at the Slytherin Prince and shrugged. "I haven't the foggiest clue." He replied honestly.

"It's clear enough to the rest of us." Harry looked away. "You have feelings for her, mate. It's not something you can help." Draco declared.

"I know it's not—but I'm engaged." Harry told him, his voice barely a whisper.

"Have you talked to Blair?" Draco asked.

"No, and I won't." Harry said, walking a bit faster.

Draco matched his pace easily. "And why not?" He asked, his voice holding something—an emotion that Harry couldn't identify.

"I'm not going to declare feelings for her that may or may not exist when I'm set to marry Ginny and can't see any of them through." Harry told him. "It's your fault anyway, if you hadn't said that Gin and I would be miserable, then I wouldn't have reanalyzed everything and I wouldn't have been stupid enough to start thinking about Blair like that."

Draco stared at him. "You really are a stupid git, Potter. You would've realized that you cared for her with or without my help AND you knew before I said anything that Ginny Weasley wasn't the right girl for you. I'm not going to take the blame for something that can't be helped." He stated clearly enough. Harry knew that he'd pissed off his platinum blond friend but that didn't seem to be the problem at the moment.

"I'm not telling her—she doesn't have feelings about me anyway, so why bother?" Draco stopped walking. Thankfully the others were way behind them.

"Are you fucking blind?" Harry gave him a questioning look. "She's crazy about you. I've never seen her so in love with someone. I always figured that she thought all the blokes around here were beneath her, that that was the reason that she never dated anyone, but what I've been seeing over the last few weeks have me convinced that I was wrong. She is so careful to not show her emotions around anyone, especially the Weaselette, but I can tell. You're it for her, Potter. Don't screw that up because of petty insecurities." And he walked away, leaving Harry to his thoughts as the others gathered around him. Petty insecurities? Has Malfoy ever heard of the pot and the kettle?

* * *

***

* * *

She could feel him, standing so near to her, she was so close, so very, very close—Hogsmeade was crowded, filled with students and daily shoppers. Apparently, being the eldest and wisest students at Hogwarts didn't mean a damn thing when it came to going to Honeydukes, because Hermione, Harry, Blair, Ron, Ginny, and Draco were all squished in like sardines at the sweet shop like everyone else. Blair had proffered alternatives to Honeydukes, since she realized that it being the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, the new third years would pack it in there first, but everyone apparently had a sweet tooth.

So here she was, standing next to Harry, his hand nearly holding hers to keep her from being lost in the den. She could hardly think with him that close and she was grateful that the crowd kept his fiancée from seeing they're hands. When Harry and Draco had led the group to Hogsmeade, Ginny decided to cut in with her usual snide comments. Her apparel wasn't to the 6th years tastes, but Blair just shrugged off her jibes, especially when Blaise had ran past them and shouted "Lookin' good, Radcliffe!" before running to Pansy Parkinson's side. When she noticed that her brother had nodded in agreement with the Slytherin, the ginger haired brat stopped her insults.

Harry grabbed lots of Chocolate Frogs and Honeydukes Finest Fudge, then a few sugar quills and a Cockroach Cluster. She had given him a questioning look when he picked that up, but he'd just glanced at Ron then back at her and winked. She'd smirked evilly, understanding his meaning clearly enough and they purchased the goods, getting out of there quickly. Reaching the street, both realized that they'd left the rest of their party in the shop. Harry pulled out a sugar quill and handed it to her. "Here you go." He said.

She took it and responded, "Thank you." He smiled and pulled out a Chocolate Frog for himself. They sat in silence, eating their sweets, for awhile, but then she looked at him. Her heart was doing summersaults. She had never reacted to anyone like that before. She'd been on several Solicitation calls before, but no one made her heart race and her blood pump the way his mere presence did. "Harry—" She stopped herself, trying to think of what she was going to say.

"Yes?" He asked looking at her.

She chickened out. "So, do you think that Draco likes Hermione?" She asked.

"Definitely." He responded. "But, I don't think he's going to do anything about it." She noticed him shift uncomfortably.

"Why not?" She asked.

"He can't forgive himself. Until he does, he'll never be able to open up and be the man that Hermione needs. He knows that, but he still can't do it. He doesn't believe he deserves her." Harry stated.

"Did he tell you that?" Harry shook his head. "Then how do you know?"

"I know what it's like. His position. Not exactly, but I know him, too. He's a good man, but…I just know where he's coming from." He said.

"You do?"

He looked at her. "More and more." She blushed. He looked away and sighed. She wanted to know what he meant, but she didn't know how to ask. Could he ever feel for her what she felt for him?

Soon, they were joined by Draco and Hermione, but Ron and Ginny were no where to be seen. The two Heads had a bag between them, filled with various sweets. Draco came and sat next to her, offering her a chocolate. She turned him down politely, looking forward to getting something to eat at The Three Broomsticks. "Did Potter talk to you?" He asked.

"What about?" She retorted.

"Never mind." He grumbled, popping a Chocolate Frog in his mouth. They saw Zabini and Parkinson walking up to them and all four stood. "Hey, Zabini." Draco said, holding out a hand. Blaise took it smiling.

"Hey, guys. How crowded is it in there?" Pansy asked. Blair could tell that Harry was stunned by her civility.

"Pretty much suffocating, we only just escaped." Hermione responded.

Pansy looked at Blaise. "Want to brave it?" She asked.

"I'll sacrifice myself in the name of chocolate. Wait here." He walked up to the door bravely, and then pretended to plug his nose and dive in. He had everyone laughing on the corner, everyone.

"He's such a dork." Hermione said, still giggling.

"I know, but I swear, he'd do anything for chocolate." Pansy replied, trying to compose herself. "At least I don't have to go in." She reasoned.

The bell to the door rang and they all looked to see the Weasleys exiting, taking in deep breaths. "Bit smoky in there, eh?" Ron said coming over to the standing group. He saw Pansy and just went kind of rigid. Blair was sure that she'd imagined it, but she saw the look in his eyes, and it wasn't hatred that she saw in the blue orbs. "Hey, Parkinson." He said, regaining his senses and finishing his trek.

"Weasley." She acknowledged with a faint smile. Ginny stepped over to Harry and took his hand possessively. She ignored Pansy's presence and the fact that she'd stood on Blair's foot.

Suddenly, Blaise shot out of the shop, his shirt disheveled and taking deep, long breaths. "I—am—not—that—desperate!" He said between gulps of air. He walked up to the small crowd and straightened out his clothes. He composed himself, rested an arm casually on Blair's shoulder, and said, "So, how are you?" To no one in particular.

Everyone just laughed at him and Pansy piped up, "Were you all headed somewhere?"

"Just over to The Three Broomsticks." Ron replied. "Want to join us-OW! Gin that was my foot!" Ron shouted staring red faced at his sister.

"Its fine, Blaise and I were going to head over to Wheezes." Pansy responded, acknowledging the littlest Weasley's displeasure at them being there.

"Cool, maybe we'll see you there." Ron said. The crowd split up to its original forms, all bidding goodbyes.

The day progressed rather slowly after that, Blair was confused by Ron's reaction to Pansy and was enticed to believe that maybe her freckled friend may like her. It was strange, how things were working out for everyone. It seemed that any day now, Draco and Hermione may be together, Ron and Pansy may have something between them—and Harry and Ginny were going to be married. A happy ending for all. Or so it seemed, for everyone except perhaps her. Love was aloof in her world, for she could love, but duty overrode everything else. She was sure that she did, maybe, love someone. Though, it was far too soon to label it as love. Interest, like, perhaps lust, but love wasn't the proper title as of yet. Besides, if he knew what she did for a living, he would hate her.

They went to The Three Broomsticks, then to Weasley Wizard Wheezes which was where Zonko's used to be before the Weasley Twins bought them out, then a quick trip to the Shrieking Shack, just for old time's sake. Before night could befall the castle and grounds, Hermione and Draco were called back to the castle for a meeting with Professor Dumbledore. So, Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Blair were left to walk themselves up to the castle and it was tense. Ron was unusually quiet, Harry and Ginny weren't speaking, and Blair just had her arms crossed under her bust, walking behind the others to avoid Ginny's glaring eyes, trying to pretend that she didn't care that they were holding hands.

She didn't know what she could do to rectify the girl's hatred of her, because Blair was quite sure it was undeserved. She couldn't help that she had money, she couldn't help that she dressed as she did. She loved everything that she wore and wasn't ashamed of her figure. Shame wasn't something taught in the Radcliffe or Malfoy families. You stand to your best advantage and do it with your head held high. It was a rule that had been ingrained in Blair and Draco since birth. That was why they were never seen at a disadvantage—well, that was why Blair was never seen at a disadvantage and Draco rarely was. He couldn't help that unfortunate ferret incident or when Hermione punched him in the nose, so rarely.

When they crossed the threshold of the castle, she felt someone grab her round the middle and let out a scream, before a hand silenced her and she was being drug off towards the west end of the castle. "BLAIR!" She could hear Harry yell but she couldn't respond. Whoever had her picked her up and began to run. She struggled against him, but he was strong and he had somehow placed a Silencing Charm on her. They entered an empty class room and he threw her against a wall. She hit hard and could feel something hot and liquid rushing down her neck. The charm lifted as her captor moved back and stepped into a shaft of moonlight from a nearby window. "Goyle?" She asked. He glared at her.

"Silence!" He yelled.

She reached up and touched her head. "Goyle, release me!" She ordered.

He walked over to her and slapped her hard across the face. "You don't give orders, Radcliffe." He growled.

"I'm bleeding, Goyle. I'm bleeding a lot." She told him.

"Good." He said.

"Give me my wand so I can heal myself." She said.

He laughed angrily. "Right, so you can curse me and run off to your blood traitor friends? Not a chance, Radcliffe."

"Blood traitor?" She asked her vision was beginning to blur.

"Malfoy betrayed us all." He growled. "He could've been another Dark Lord; he was our ruler, the best of us. Instead he cowers in Potter's shadow! Now, he'll find out what happens when we bite back! Starting with the last bit of family he has left." He pointed his wand at her. "_Avada_-"

"_Expelliarmis!_" His wand shot out of his hand and they both turned to look at the doorway. Her vision straightened just enough to see a tall, dark-haired man with spectacles pointing a wand at Goyle. "Get away from her." Harry said with a cold fury that Blair had never heard before. "_Petrificus Totallus!_" Goyle's body went rigid and he fell down. Harry rushed over to Blair, her eyelids were getting heavy. He shifted her towards him and his hand touched the blood, finding the gash. He muttered a healing spell. "Come on." He said, lifting her easily into his arms, carrying her bridal style and walking out of the room. He carried her all the way to the Hospital Wing, as if she weighed nothing and sat her down on the bed.

"Mr. Potter, what happened?" Madame Pomfrey asked, rushing over.

"She was attacked. I healed the wound, but she's lost a lot of blood." He told her. She could feel it, she was so much weaker. She felt like she was about to fall asleep. Madame Pomfrey disappeared momentarily, returning with a potion in her hand. "What's that?" He asked.

"Blood Replenishing Potion, it'll heal her up in no time. Here, dear, drink up." She said to Blair, who swallowed the disgusting potion as ordered. "Stay with her, Potter, I have to get the Headmaster." Harry nodded and sat down beside Blair while the nurse ran off.

"You saved me." She whispered, feeling life running into her again. Her strength returning at pace.

"Of course." He said, putting her hand in his. "I would never let anyone hurt you." He promised. They sat in silence, their hands entwined, until the Headmaster, Madame Pomfrey, and Professors Flitwick and McGonagall arrived.

"What happened?" Professor Dumbledore asked, quietly. Harry explained what he knew of the events, from walking up to the castle to her scream to him finding Goyle attempting the Killing Curse. Blair informed the Headmaster of Goyle's purpose in attacking her and the man remained quiet. Harry told him where Goyle was and that he was bound in a Body-Lock curse. "Very well. If Ms. Radcliffe is feeling better, then Mr. Potter, I would like for you to escort her to her dormitory. There may well be more of Mr. Malfoy's old friends that feel as Mr. Goyle did. Minerva, Filius, if you would please come with me to retrieve Mr. Goyle." And with that, Dumbledore left. Harry helped Blair sit up and she got the once over by Pomfrey, then was released.

Harry kept an arm around her as they walked up to Ravenclaw Tower. When they reached a portrait of a lonely maiden, dressed in pink, they stopped. She looked at him. "Thank you, Harry." She said. "You always seem to be around to save the day."

He smiled and placed a hand on her cheek. "Are you sure you're ok?" He asked, his eyes were worried and his smile slipped from his face, but his hand remained.

"As long as you're here, I'm always ok." She promised. There they stood; two people alone in a corridor, eyes locked on each other. The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial in any love story. It changes the relationship of two people much more strongly than even the final surrender, because this kiss already has within it that surrender. And that decision was made the moment Harry bent his head down to touch her lips with his. She hadn't expected it; she hadn't given much thought to kissing the green eyed hero. But there she stood, locked in the most caring, loving embrace imaginable, his lips soft against hers, his hand on her cheek. His other arm wrapped around her middle, pulling her closer, and she didn't resist. Her arms snaked up and wrapped around his neck, gently lifting herself closer to him, rising up on her toes to alleviate the bend in his neck.

The kiss was gentle, loving, passionate, everything a first kiss should be. Soon, his mouth gave and a gentle tongue begged entrance into her mouth. She slowly responded, her mouth slowly giving way to him, allowing him entrance. The kiss changed, more passion, more everything. It was slowly sucking the life from them, bidding them closer, but was still as gentle as ever. She felt everything and nothing, her mind couldn't think, she was alone in this wonderful world, where only she and Harry existed.

Soon, too soon, it ended. They pulled back together, foreheads resting on one another, breathing heavily. He held her arms with his hands, his embrace gentle. They were still so close. He bent down and captured her lips once more, in a chaste, but passionate embrace, and she responded, unable to resist him. They parted again and he pulled back enough to look at her, his green eyes meeting her brown. And so, everything had changed. She went from doubting to understanding, he'd been holding back, but only just. "Harry." She whispered.

"I'm sorry." He answered.

"Don't be. Please, don't be." She begged fears bubbling in her mind.

He looked at her. "I'm not sorry I kissed you, Blair. I'm sorry that it took me so long. I'm sorry that I'm engaged. I'm sorry." He was pleading, but not with her. With the Powers, with whatever was out there, controlling them.

She put a hand on his cheek. "Shh, love. It's ok." She said. She pulled him to her, laid a gentle kiss on his lips and pulled back again. "Everything will work out." She promised.

"I'll hold you to that." He said, smiling sadly.

* * *

***

* * *

"BASTARD!" Draco yelled, throwing a book across the common room. It hit one of the landscapes, shattering the glass of the frame and sending it to the floor. Professor Dumbledore had just visited their dormitory to inform them that Goyle had attacked Blair. He had explained that Harry had saved her and was with her. She was fine, but Goyle would be sent to Azkaban in the morning.

Hermione couldn't stand to see Draco so angry. "Draco!" She called, gently but urgently.

He turned to her. "What?" He asked, his voice lowering in octaves, she suspected so she wouldn't mistake him for angry at her.

She walked up to him. "You can't help what happened. She's safe."

"As if I could help! She was in danger because of me and I couldn't bloody well protect her! If Potter hadn't found her when he did—" He stopped, closing his eyes and taking in a breath.

"She is going to be alright, Draco. Harry wouldn't let anything happen to her." Hermione said, stepping up to him and putting an arm on his.

"It's my fault, Hermione. Because of who I am—she's all I have left and I nearly got her killed." He said, ruefully.

"It wasn't because of who you are, Draco. It's who you were." He looked away. "Who you were, the monster that your father made you—that's not who you are anymore. You faced the monster in you and you fought back. You risked everything so you could be a better man and you can be. You are. You may not see it, but I do." She told him. "The path to redemption isn't easy, but you'll never get there if you don't forgive yourself first. I've forgiven you, why can't you?" She asked.

"It isn't so easy as that, Hermione. Whatever fighting that I may have done, that didn't save Blair tonight. What if it isn't Blair next time? What if it's you? Would you still be calling me a good man?" He asked heatedly walking away from her.

She followed him, put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. "If it's me, then I'll know that you're coming for me. That's the man you are now. I trust you with my life, Draco." She told him. She pulled him closer.

"I don't deserve that." He whispered into her hair as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Yes, you do. We all deserve a second chance, this is yours." She held on to him tightly and she felt him lay a gentle kiss in her hair.

The next day, the news spread like wildfire that Goyle had been locked up for attacking a student. Who, what, when, why, and how were still unknown, but the general populace just loved the gossip. Hermione, Draco, Harry, Blair, Ron, and Ginny all sat in the Heads' common room, studying and doing homework, talking occasionally. Ginny was upset about something, Ron was acting funny, and Harry kept glancing at Blair. She watched the exchange between her two best friends. When he'd glance at her, she'd glance at him and their eyes would lock. A faint blush would spread on her cheeks and his eyes would sparkle then they'd look away. Hermione had the vague suspicion that something more had happened last night than just the attack.

That didn't, however, explain Ginny's behavior. So, Hermione decided to find out. She sat next to the girl and asked. Ginny looked at her and her eyes were sad. "When Harry heard Radcliffe scream—it was an awful scream—he just ran after her without a thought. He left Ron and I in the entryway and didn't look back. He was screaming her name. Hermione, I was so afraid. I was afraid for her and then I was angry, because he was ready to drop everything to run and save her but he didn't think once about my safety. Sure I can handle myself, but so can she."

Hermione didn't know how to respond. "You were scared for her? I thought you despised her." Hermione said finally.

Ginny shrugged. "I'm jealous of her, couldn't you tell? I hadn't meant to act like such a bitch, and I'm sorry for the pain it caused. I didn't expect her to ever get hurt, and the moment it seemed like she was going to—"

"You realized that she was actually a friend?" Hermione interpreted. Ginny nodded.

"When everything calms down, I'll apologize to her. I just don't like the way that Harry and everyone acts around her. One minute we're fine, it's just us, then she comes in and Harry's got this new best friend that he has everything in common with, Ron's changing how he acts around people, and then Malfoy—suddenly her cousin is one of the gang too and I just don't like the way everything is changing." Her eyes were sad, reflective. "I'm sorry; I know she's your friend. I guess I was jealous of that, too. Before we could talk about anything and now, you're always around her, it's like you don't need me anymore. Like no one does."

"We need you, Ginny. You're every bit as important as she is." Hermione swore. Ginny shrugged and returned to her assignment. Hermione sat her books aside and just looked at the fire in the fireplace. Before she could think, though, she felt herself being tackled to the ground. Someone was tickling her and she couldn't tell who because she was laughing too hard. Everyone was laughing as well and she could barely breathe. Finally, the tickling started to cease and she looked up to see Harry standing over her, a mischievous grin on his face. "What was that?" She asked, in between lingering giggles as he kept moving his fingers on her stomach.

"Things felt too tense." He said simply before going at it again. She slapped his arms, squirming under his touch, and trying to get away, but he had her locked between his knees.

"Please—please let—" She tried to beg.

"What's that 'Mione? More?" He asked, grinning wickedly and tickling faster.

"Let me up!" She finally coughed out. He smiled and nodded, getting up, and holding out a hand. She took it and stood, glaring at him playfully. "You're so mean." She pouted.

"That was mean?" She heard Draco say behind her. She felt strong arms wrap around her middle. "That wasn't mean." He breathed. Harry was looking at him, a quizzical expression on his fine features. Hermione didn't know what to expect. She looked at Harry, who had an understanding expression and she was suddenly a little scared. "This is." Draco said and suddenly Harry was back on the attack, joined by Ron.

"You—twits!" She yelled out, laughing uncontrollably.

The tickle attack soon ended and they were all on the floor laughing in intervals. Ginny and Blair had gotten attacked too, so Hermione didn't feel too terribly. Next to her, Draco had his arms above his head, looking up at the ceiling and just smiling. Maybe this was his letting go? He was just being himself, free from everything that had kept him apart. Hermione was intrigued by this and watched his face. His silver blue eyes turned to her and he moved an arm out, inviting her closer. She took the invitation and his arm rested under her neck, his hand on her shoulder, and she was just relaxed against his body. He was solid muscle; his pale skin had a glow from spending time outside flying. He was comfortable and she couldn't help her eyes drifting close as she felt at ease for the first time in a long time.

_This was a dream, she knew that. Hermione couldn't just dream and pretend, her logical mind always knew. She was cuddling on the couch in the common room with Draco. Just cuddling, but he was smiling at her. She knew that she should know why, but it was beyond her reach. He kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Hermione." He said easily. _

_She looked up at him, his grey eyes shimmering. "I love you, too." She told him and they kissed. It was amazing, sensual, intense. His kiss held a gentle fervor, a need that must be quenched but was insatiable. When they parted, she just smiled. "This isn't real." She said._

"_I know, but this is you're heart, love. I'm just a visitor." He said._

"_Do I love you?" She asked._

"_You know the answer to that." He told her logically._

_She let her smile fade and looked at him. "I can't be with you. Even if I wanted to, I can't. I've already used Ron and Harry; I won't do that to anyone else." He nodded, understanding._

"_It's alright, love. Just don't punish yourself for the choices you made, because you did it for the greater good. You saved me from myself, maybe it's my turn to save you."_ Hermione felt something move under her head and her eyes opened. Draco was looking at her, his arm that she'd been using for a pillow now propping him up. "I didn't mean to wake you." He whispered.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked.

"About an hour, the others already left." He informed her. She sat up and looked about the large common room. No one was to be seen. "Are you ok?" He asked.

She nodded. "Fine, I just wish someone had woken me." She told him, looking at him pointedly. He smirked.

"I'm sorry; I just didn't have the heart to." He said. "You looked so peaceful." She smiled small and just shook her head. Her hands went to her hair and she groaned.

"I look awful." She grumbled. He reached out and smoothed her hair with his hand.

"You look beautiful." He promised. She blushed and her stomach rumbled. "Come on, let's go down to supper."

"Not without a hair brush." She said. He laughed and got up, ran into the bathroom, and returned, with her hair brush in hand. He didn't hand it to her though, he sat behind her, placing her in between his legs, and began to gently run the brush through her hair. She felt the knots give way with ease under his gentle ministrations. This was so relaxing, so peaceful. When he'd completed his task, he ran his fingers through her hair. She leaned against him and he held onto her. This was so natural, so perfect, so right. She didn't want to think, she didn't want to leave. But, when her stomach gave an unwanted gargle, he let out a chuckle and stood up. He helped her and they left the common room, heading down the stairs to the Great Hall. Maybe he had forgiven himself finally.

When she reached the Gryffindor table, she sat down in her usual place beside Harry. "Well, how are you feeling, sleepy-head?" He asked, smiling at her.

She rolled her eyes and pushed his arm playfully. "I'm fine, you ponce. Why didn't you guys wake me up?" She asked, turning the attention to the two red heads across from them.

Ron shrugged. "We didn't want to disturb you. You never just fall asleep, 'Mione. That must've meant that you needed it." He reasoned. There were nods all around and she just sighed.

"Fine, but next time, don't let me sleep. I could've drooled or something." She said and they all just chuckled. She ate, quieting her stomach that had to ruin peaceful moments, and just listened while they talked. She noticed that Harry and Ginny were more distant than usual. It was more that Harry was pulling even further back than Ginny; she seemed to just let him. Hermione wondered if it was conscious or not, if it was the natural procession of time between a pair of people that have nothing there, like her and Ron. But, she had enough on her plate than to deal with her friends' love lives. She had the upcoming Halloween Ball to organize and then there was the confusing dream and sequence of events afterward. Hell, there was the whole relationship between Hermione and Draco for her to think about. Had anything ever been any less than it is? Even from the first day they met it was passion. Passionate hatred, which was now turning into a passionate friendship and possibly more. Hermione didn't want it to turn into more, because she didn't want to have to hurt him or herself. No matter what, she would be hurting herself. She knew that. It was already too late for her, but not for him.

She looked at him across the hall. He was sitting next to Pansy and Blaise, chatting away, but when she looked at him, he looked up and smiled at her. She smiled back, unable to help herself. In the entire time that she'd known him, she could count the number of times she actually saw a smile on his face and they'd all been for her. She remembered the night that she stopped him last year. She'd caught him in the Room of Requirement, fixing the Vanishing Cabinet, he was alone. She performed the Body-Lock charm on him and he'd frozen up. She took the floor, telling him that she knew everything, everything that he was doing, and what would happen if he didn't stop. When she was sure that he wouldn't curse her, she released him and he'd hit the floor. They talked, calmly, for hours, just talked. He spent the rest of that term fighting everything off, to be a better man. He didn't want to become his father, even though she knew that he'd already had to do so much already, so many horrible things. He'd promised her that night that he'd fight, that he wasn't going to let more people die because of him. That was why he'd been so upset when Blair had been attacked. He'd felt like he'd broken his promise. He was an honorable man, a man of his word.

She knew that he must've felt helpless many times over the last year. She had. His eyes left hers and returned to talking to Blaise and she just sighed. She was in trouble. But, she was a great actress, Charade had ensured that. She could act her way out of any situation and this was no exception. She just had to convince herself.

Dinner finished and the quartet stood and headed out of the Great Hall. Draco caught up with them easily, as did Blair. "Potter, will you make sure Blair makes it to her dorm?" He asked Harry.

"Of course." Harry promised.

"Uh, guys, I can take care of myself." Blair protested.

"Say that to the concussion that Goyle gave you." Draco pushed. "Potter."

"I'm on it. Come on." He said quietly. Hermione was amazed.

Ron put an arm around his little sister and they all started walking up to the fourth floor. Harry and Blair went down the corridor to Ravenclaw, Ron and Ginny to Gryffindor and that left Draco and Hermione. He walked beside her, ever silent, and when they reached the portrait of the nymph, he said the password ("flubberworm") and allowed her to go first through the hole. She looked at him when they entered the common room. "Why don't you go to sleep, pet? You look tired." He said. She nodded and he gave her a hug, before she went into her room and closed the door. The chestnut of her room; it's gold and red tones were calming and relaxing. Draco was right, she was tired. She removed her school clothes and changed into a royal purple night gown with spaghetti straps that hit her at mid-thigh. She climbed into her large bed and under the lush comforter and sheets; their gold hues nearly matched the tones of her skin. She fell asleep almost instantly.

"_Hermione!" Someone was shouting her name. There were bodies everywhere, blood on her hands and clothes. "Hermione!" She turned and saw Tonks running towards her. _

"Avada Kadavra_!" A Death Eater shouted and Tonks fell to the ground. Hermione took off, running into the woods and she didn't stop, she didn't breathe. She ran straight into Lucius Malfoy. "Little lost lamb, covered in dirt, blood filled with mud." Came the sing-song voice of Bellatrix Lestrange. _

"_Take care of her, Bella." Lucius ordered._

_No, this didn't happen. Why was she dreaming this? It didn't happen. "_Avada_-" Someone ran out in front of her. "_Kadavra_!" The spell hit him, his blond hair spilling, his grey eyes wide and dead._

"_NO!"_

_

* * *

_***

* * *

"NO!" Draco heard the shout coming from Hermione's room. He jumped out of bed and ran through the door that led to the bathroom. On the other side of the bathroom was the door to Hermione's room. He opened it, but the barrier that kept him from entering stopped him.

"Hermione! Hermione, wake up!" He shouted. He pushed against the barrier, but it was no use, he wasn't getting through. "Hermione!" He yelled. Finally, he saw her eyes open and she looked at him. She pulled the covers off of herself quickly and ran over to him, crossing the barrier and wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her close, petting her hair, and whispering, "It's alright, it was just a dream." Over and over.

After a few minutes, her grip loosened and she pulled back a little bit. Her cheeks were flushed and he could tell that she was embarrassed. It probably didn't help that he was in nothing but short black cotton boxers and she was in her night gown. He didn't let go of her, though. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Don't be. Are you ok?" He asked. She nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?" She shook her head. "Alright." He said, kissing her forehead affectionately. He released her and turned back, walking slowly to his room.

"Draco." She called just before he reached his door and he turned back. Her cheeks were still pink. "Could I—could I stay with you tonight?" She asked embarrassment plain.

He smiled and nodded. "Come on." He held out an arm to her and she ran across the floor to him. She slid under his arm and he led her into his dark room. She climbed into the bed and he followed her. She cuddled up against him and was soon back asleep. Draco couldn't sleep, yet, though. He hadn't been asleep when she had her nightmare. He'd been thinking, trying to sleep, but his mind was too muddled with thoughts to drift off. Now his thoughts resumed, only to be added by sheer concern about what could've had Hermione calling out in complete terror and pain. He'd thought a lot about what she'd said to him last night, about forgiving himself, and the moment he knew that she had, he found he could. He did. He never expected that Hermione would think that he was a good man. He couldn't help how he felt about himself and he valued her opinion higher than anyone else's ever in his life.

Her gentle hand was on his bare chest, her breathing was soft, and he couldn't help but wonder how they had gotten to where they were. From childhood enemies to so close that they could share a bed in a moment of comfort. It was strange and a source of happiness for him. He loved having her here with him, it felt so natural. He couldn't bare the thought of loosing this, loosing her. Of course, he didn't have her, but he would settle for friendship. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep, her shallow breathing consuming his thoughts and relaxing him.

The next day, they both woke up to the sunlight shining through the window. Her head was on his chest, his arm around her, his hand resting on her hip. She turned her beautiful honey brown eyes up to look into his grey ones. "Hi." He said.

She blushed. "Hi." He looked at his watch and groaned. "What time is it?" She asked.

"Six thirty." He grumbled. He tightened his arm around her and closed his eyes.

"What are you doing?" She asked, laughing.

He moaned a little and said, "Going back to sleep."

She giggled. "Draco, it's Monday. We have classes." She reminded him. He opened his eyes and gave her a disgruntled look. "Come on." She insisted, sitting up and starting to slide towards the edge of the bed. He reached out and caught her, pulling her back. "Draco!" She said, giggling.

"I don't wanna." He whined, like he used to when he was a child.

"I know, but come on." She was smiling at him and he let her go. She got off the bed and walked to the door. "I'll let you have the shower first." She promised and he smirked at her. She shook her head, giggling and she entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her. He put his hand on his forehead and groaned. He didn't want to get up; he just wanted to lie in that bed with Hermione forever. He hadn't dreamt for the first time in over a year. He was truly at peace for once. He got out of the bed and grabbed his school clothes, then walked to the bathroom for a shower.

The day was slow and boring for Draco. He spent most of his time thinking about last night and how simply amazing it was, just to hold her. He didn't know if he'd get that opportunity again, but he wanted to. He noticed that since they'd left the dormitory this morning, she'd avoided looking at him or speaking to him about anything other than school work. He was worried, had he done something? What could it have been? He knew that he hadn't dreamt, so there was no chance of him saying he loved her in his sleep or something equally embarrassing, but what was wrong with her?

After they had eaten lunch, the group met outside, but still, Hermione didn't say a word to him. She walked with Ron and Blair, leaving him and Potter to talk. He just watched as she held on to Weasley's hand, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his heart. He tried to distract himself with Quidditch talk with Harry, the Slytherin-Gryffindor game was coming up and they were arguing over who would win. He knew that Potter would win, he always did, but he was prideful and wouldn't let the Golden Boy win an arguement about who would win. The distraction only worked for a few minutes before his attention went back to Hermione.

When the last bell rang and Hermione and he went back up to the dorms to put their books up before supper, he had been fed up. He couldn't stand her not talking to him. He threw his books on his bed and waited out in the common room for her. Finally, she came out of her room and stopped when she saw him, standing by the fireplace, his arms crossed over his chest and a disgruntled look on his features. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." He said. She took a few steps forward.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She insisted, but he didn't buy it. She made for the door but he stood in front of it. "Draco-"

"Why have you been avoiding me all day?" He asked, his eyes were soft, but his words were urgent. He had to know.

She groaned and walked to the couch, sitting down. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice." She said, her voice shy and sad.

He moved over to her and sat on the coffee table in front of the couch so he could see her eyes. "Why?" He asked simply.

"I was nervous, Draco. I don't like being weak and last night I was. And I let you see it." She wouldn't meet his gaze.

"You don't have to be strong around me." He promised.

She glanced at him quickly before looking away again. "I know that." She stated. "I'm sorry." She got up and went for the door again. But this time she stopped, turned, looked at him, and held out a hand. "Are you coming?" She asked.

He smirked, confused, and walked over to her, taking her small hand in his. Someday, he would get the truth out of her, but until then, this was fine with him.

* * *

_Attention: You know how I've been insisting that the chapters would get shorter? Well, oops, this one was longer. It was primarily a Harry/Blair chapter if you didn't notice. I tried to counter that, since it was an accident, but I don't know if it worked. Thanks to all that reviewed, please keep that up! _

_A side note: There were quotes used in this chapter. At least one from _Buffy, the Vampire Slayer_ and one by Emil Ludwig. I love quotes, so you'll be seeing a lot of them in the upcoming chapters. The Buffyfans among my readers will notice a lot from _Buffy_ and _Angel_, because those two shows freakin' rock! I LOVE THEM and I always kind of see Draco and Hermione as a Potterverse version of Buffy and Spike. So, yeah. Comment on that if you want to too. _

_PLEASE REVIEW OR YOU SHAN'T GET ANY MORE!_


	4. I'm Drowning In You

**Charades**

A Draco/Hermione Story

**Summary: **Its 7th year and Hermione has a dark secret. When love is the last thing she needs and the first gift she's given, what will happen when her secret is found out? Can his love save her from a life that wasn't meant for her? Or will she push everything aside to honor a debt? Post HBP, not DH compliant. OC characters involved.

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling, _Charades_ is owned by whoever the hell wrote the damn song, Blair is owned by me as well as Charade. That's it. Me poor, poor person.

**Pairings:** It's coming…one by one, the chips will fall…

**Author's Note: **Hmm. Great reviews. So no one hates me for the use of quotes? You might after this one, but I can't help it. I picked the ones that were perfect. So *sticks tongue out*. Review and tell me what you think.

This chapter is **rated M** for **sexual content**…you can thank me if you want to *wink*.

* * *

**Last Chapter: **

_She glanced at him quickly before looking away again. "I know that." She stated. "I'm sorry." She got up and went for the door again. But this time she stopped, turned, looked at him, and held out a hand. "Are you coming?" She asked._

_He smirked, confused, and walked over to her, taking her small hand in his. Someday, he would get the truth out of her, but until then, this was fine with him._

_

* * *

_**Chapter 4: **I'm Drowning In You

* * *

"…The truth is—nothing can prepare you for what you may face out there. Real life is so very different from school. The world is a dangerous place and when you're faced with that danger, nothing and I mean, nothing, can prepare you for that. To loose a loved one, to watch the faces of your friends in agony—that is the toughest thing you'll ever see. Many of you have already witness such tragedy. You've all made it through this war alive. But look around you, at the empty desks, the friends that aren't here that should be, and try to think about how lucky you are, to be here, alive." Lupin said looking out at them all. His face sallow, his eyes sad, he knew better than a lot of them, the loss that the war brought. "I expect a 3 foot essay on Unforgivable Curses to be handed in next week. Extra credit will be given for personal examples, but I don't want anyone writing anything down that will cause emotional strain just for credit. If it's too difficult, don't bother with it. Alright, you're dismissed." Hermione put her things in her bag and stood, slinging it over her shoulder and walking up to Lupin. When the class was gone, he looked at her. "Is everything ok, Hermione?" He asked.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing, Remus." She said, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.

He smiled at her. "I'm fine." He stood up straighter. "I actually received an owl from your mum the other day."

"You did?" Hermione asked, smiling. When Tonks died, Lupin and her mother began talking, corresponding by owl or the occasional tea, as a kind of therapy for the both of them. Hermione's father had died just before she joined Charade from cancer, so she understood Lupin's pain as no one else did. As time passed, the two had been practically inseparable. "What did she say?"

"We're going to have tea in London tomorrow; she's going to bring Teddy." He said happily. "Jane really is a godsend, Hermione. I don't know what I would've done if she hadn't been able to take him." He gushed.

"Mum loves him, but then again, who wouldn't?" She said smiling up at him. "Well, I should hurry; I'll be late for Potions. Give Mum and Teddy a kiss for me tomorrow, please." She said, giving him a hug.

He hugged her back lightly. "I will, princess." He released her and she rushed from the Defense room to head down to the dungeons. She hoped that he had a good time with her mum tomorrow, they both deserved some happiness.

She arrived within minutes of the bell and sat down beside Draco. She pulled out her notebook and turned it to their current assignment, completing the Veritaserum potion. Once it was finished, the two team-members would be coming in separately to test the potion, to avoid unwanted knowledge from reaching the masses. Hermione and Draco had been teamed up on this potion, which wasn't really something that she wanted. She didn't want to spill her guts out to him; she had some secrets that shouldn't be told, and some that couldn't be revealed. He seemed just as anxious about it as she did, but they worked diligently, perfecting the potion, and setting an apt example for the rest of the class. They only had a few more ingredients to add and it would need to simmer for a few minutes, and then set for 24 hours.

"Ah, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy—beautiful potion. Tomorrow at noon, I want you both to come in to test the potion. I won't be listening, of course, but I'll ask you a few questions and then you two will be set to test its length. An hour is what we're looking for, with a 15 minute default. Any longer than that is bonus." said Professor Slughorn, handing them a written form. He then walked away and on to the next group. Hermione groaned, magically making a copy of the form and handing one to Draco.

She glanced at him. He wasn't smiling either, looking to be more in agony than anything else. This wasn't his first round with Veritaserum. The Order had given him some when Hermione had convinced them of his innocence, it had been agonizing to watch and afterwards he didn't look at her for nearly a week. She had been to blame for the whole ordeal, having failed in insisting that the potion was unnecessary. She had promised him that they wouldn't treat him like a criminal and she had lied. She didn't want him to hate her again, but she knew that when she went under the potion, he would know things about her that would drive him to it. She also didn't want to know what he would say—secrets between them were special and necessary.

They bottled their potions, labeled them and sat them on Slughorn's desk. Hermione didn't know what to do or say to make tomorrow any easier, but thankfully, the bell rang before she had the opportunity. They grabbed their bags and waited for Harry and Ron to catch up with them outside the classroom. Both were silent, grave, trying to avoid the other's eyes. Harry and Ron came out, both looking a little less than happy. "She is going to tear me apart!" Ron exclaimed as the two boys reached them. Ron's partner was Pansy Parkinson.

"Oh, Ronald, she's not going to be that bad!" Hermione said, smiling softly and shaking her head. She wasn't exactly lying, since she didn't know what Pansy was going to do. One group out of the den was allowed to have only one person test the potion, and Pansy had volunteered her and Ron before anyone else had the opportunity, and Slughorn had told Ron that he would be the test subject. It wasn't fair, but at least Pansy wouldn't be revealing their secret to Ron, he wouldn't let it go. Harry was paired up with Daphne Greengrass and in no danger of finding out about Charade. The pairing system was boy-girl, Slughorn's attempt at matchmaking, and Slytherin-Gryffindor, to promote inter-House unity (and dating). No one was lost on Slughorn's lame attempts, since they were all present for his disastrous love potion last term.

"She will so, I know Parkinson…she'll ask me embarrassing questions and use them to torment me later." He grumbled.

"She can't, Slughorn's put a spell on the Reveal Room that won't allow the teams to talk about anything after they leave it with anyone other than their partner, remember?" Draco said, looking at Ron with a very annoyed look.

"Exactly, she'll be able to nag me about it at any moment." Ron told him.

Hermione looked at him. "What are you afraid she'll find out, Ronald?" She asked.

Harry looked at him as well, equally interested. "Nothing, I'm just not ready to spill all my darkest secrets to Parkinson." Ron responded, his ears going red. Draco nudged Hermione and smirked. Hermione looked at him and smiled. If she was thinking what Draco was thinking, then Ron had a crush on Pansy. It would make sense, she was quite beautiful, since she got her pug nose fixed and grew up. She kind of reminded Hermione of a model out of one of the muggle magazines. She was leggy, tall, tan, all the things that boys drooled over. It was natural that Ron had taken an interest in her. She'd matured a lot since becoming a Charaden, no longer annoying and incessant. Ron and Harry left them at the entrance to the grounds, heading out to the pitch for practice, the next to last one before the big Slytherin-Gryffindor game next week, followed by the Halloween dance.

Hermione and Draco entered the common room, neither had much to say. She didn't want tomorrow to come, silently wishing that a Task would come up so she could skip it. She knew that she would be the last person called. She went into her room and put her bags down, grabbing only what she needed and removing her robes. She walked out in her uniform, bearing notebook, quill, ink, and books, and sat down on the couch. Draco was in the chair by the fireplace, already writing on his parchment, not looking up to acknowledge her presence or anything. This was a tradition between them, but he normally looked up and smiled or something. She felt sad, but shrugged it off, opening up her Defensive Magic book to the Unforgivables and began to write her essay.

Within an hour, she'd completed her essay and her stomach was grumbling. She noticed Draco glance at his watch and he looked at her. "Time for dinner." He said, putting his books aside and standing up. He held out a hand for her and she took it. They walked out of the common room, hand in hand, and started down to the Great Hall. "Are you nervous, about tomorrow?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Moderately." She replied. Moderately? More like completely. "Are you?"

"Pretty much." He stopped them and looked at her. "Hermione, whatever is said tomorrow, swear to me that it won't matter? We'll always be friends?" He asked.

She looked at him, she hadn't expected this. "Of course. Nothing would ever change that, Draco." She said it confidently, but it was the furthest from the truth. She wouldn't judge him, but she was positive that he would hate her. "You might hear some things that you won't like." She told him in a whisper.

"I swear to you…nothing could ever change my opinion of you." He said, his eyes sparkling.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Draco." She left him and went to Gryffindor table. She hoped that he would keep his promise, but she didn't hold her breath. She sat down next to Harry and measured out some foods on to her plate. "How was practice?" She asked, trying to clear her head. She wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if she was nervous about tomorrow.

"Wonderful, I think we'll kick Slytherin's arse!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ron! Language." She reprimanded.

He shrugged apologetically and she looked at Harry. "We'll win, 'Mione." He said smiling.

"I think Blair came to practice." Ginny stated.

Harry looked at her. "So?" He asked.

"So? She could use that to her advantage in the Ravenclaw game!" They all looked at Ginny. "Guys, I don't have an issue with her anymore. I would think the same thing if Draco had watched, you know that. I just don't like the idea of another captain spying." She said defensively.

"She isn't spying, Gin. We were talking after practice, that's all." Harry told her reassuringly. Hermione was curious, all of a sudden, about what Blair and Harry could possibly need to talk about that would require her presence at practice. She already had her suspicions about her two friends, which were all but confirmed, the fact remained that now Ginny trusted them, and they shouldn't be risking it all. She projected those thoughts in a look that only Harry saw.

He leaned over and kissed her temple brotherly, in gesture of reassurance. "We're just friends." He whispered in her ear. "I swear." She was getting tired of empty promises.

The next day arrived slowly, but surely. Hermione sat with Blair in her room, trying to prepare herself for noon's arrival. She was nervous. She paced the length of the room while Blair watched from the bed. Back and forth, back and forth, back and—"Hermione, please, stop. Worrying isn't going to make it go away." Blair reasoned from her bed. Hermione stopped and looked at her. "Worse case is that he finds out about you being a Charaden. I know him, he won't like it but he won't hate you." She told her.

"Blair, what if Harry found out? Do you think that it would be all fine and dandy then?" Hermione asked, her nerves getting the best of her.

"No, but Harry isn't going to find out." She said.

"No, he's not, because you got paired with Justin." Hermione looked out the window. "Justin already knows your deep dark secret and you know his. It's not just what I'll tell him, it's what he'll tell me." She said, leaning her head against the frame.

"Would it be so terrible to know how he really feels about you?" Blair asked, her voice was quiet but sounded like an amplifier in Hermione's ears.

"I don't need to know. In fact, its better that I don't." She told Blair. "And I don't want him to know my feelings either."

"What exactly are your feelings, Hermione?" Blair asked her.

Hermione shrugged and sighed. "I hardly know." She told the dark haired girl.

"I don't think that's true. I think you love him and that terrifies you." Blair said. Hermione turned around and looked her friend in her dark eyes. "If you tell him that you love him, then you can't take it back, not under Veritaserum. Then you can't hide behind your books, or your work, or even your non-relationship with Ron. You've pushed everyone away from you, everyone that has ever made an attempt to love you. You distance yourself, cut yourself off from everyone. And this isn't something new, Hermione; it's not some response to your dad or the war. You've always done it. With the kids you went to school with before Hogwarts, even with Harry and Ron. You're so incredibly smart and strong; it keeps you from touching anything that might matter. Before your dad died, you kept your parents in the dark about your life; reasoned that it was because the truth would scare them, but that wasn't it. Not really. You found a reasonable excuse to keep yourself away from them.

"You can't hide from me, Hermione. I know you. I know how you live, how you think. Whether you like it or not." Blair concluded. Hermione looked away. She was right, Blair always was.

"I can't be with him." Hermione told her, surely she knew that?

"That's not what I asked." Blair said in a calm voice. "Do you love him?"

The alarm on her watch rang out. She had fifteen minutes to get to the dungeons. "Well, I guess we're going to find out." She said, looking at Blair. She grabbed a red wool pea coat and put it on, then headed out of the common room and down to the dungeons.

_Breathe, remember, breathe_. Hermione concentrated on that rather than the growing ball of dread building in her stomach as she entered the Potions classroom. _I can't do this, I can't do this, I can't_—she walked into the Reveal Room and looked at Slughorn, refusing to look at the Slytherin Prince, who stood at the other end of the room, lounging gracefully against the wall, eyes betraying no emotion. "Well, here is your portion, Miss Granger." Slughorn said, handing her a small vial. "If you would both, please, drop three drops onto your tongues with the droppers." They did. They waited thirty seconds. Slughorn looked at Hermione. "What is your full name?"

"Hermione Jean Granger."

"Age?"

"17."

"Where do you attend school?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"What House are you in?"

"Gryffindor."

Slughorn wrote down the satisfactory remarks. "Very well then…have you ever lied to a teacher?"

Great. "Yes."

"Have you ever broken school rules?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever stolen something?"

"Yes." This wasn't fun.

"Do you know anyone famous?"

Duh. "Yes." She replied mechanically.

"Who?"

"Harry Potter, Viktor Krum, Oliver Wood,—"

The professor interrupted. "Thank you, Miss Granger." Slughorn then repeated the questions for Draco. She sat back, already knowing all of his answers. She'd watched him nick stuff before; she knew he'd broken nearly as many rules as she had, lying had always been a talent of his, and he knew the same people she did. She waited patiently, sitting in a chair provided, waiting for the dreadful time to come. When it did, Slughorn merely left the room and closed the door. Draco sat on the opposite side of the room and didn't move. "Are you ok?" He asked.

"No." She answered. Hermione took in a deep breath. She was suppressing the need to tell him everything, to spill her secrets. The silence was deafening.

"This is hard." He said, some of his control slipping.

"I know." She replied. He was fighting, she could tell, but he stood anyway. "What's going on?"

"Something's happening to me." He said. "I can't—" He stopped himself, but his hard won control was failing. "I can't stop thinking about you." He said, giving up. He walked up to her.

"Don't—just don't." She begged, fighting with all her might.

"I can't help it." He told her. She looked away. He was standing there, patiently. "Hermione, I lo-"

"Don't, don't say it." She put a hand over his mouth and stood. She released it and walked away.

"I love you." He said to her turned back.

She sucked in a breath. "Oh my god." She whispered, inaudibly. She had more to hide than he did. She had to fight harder. She fought the impulse to turn to him.

"No, look at me!" He said, pleading. When she didn't, he walked over to her and turned her around. "I…love you. You're all I bloody think about. Dream about. You're in my gut…my throat…I'm drowning in you, Granger, I'm drowning in you." He said, his silver grey eyes showing pain.

She couldn't breath. "I—I—I can't!" She screamed walking away from him fast; sucking in air, wishing with all her might that she hadn't made such a damn good potion.

"You can't?" He asked. "You can't what? You can't tell me that there isn't anything between you and me." He said.

"You don't know what you're saying, Draco." She meant it to sound harsh; it came out in a sob. "You couldn't possibly begin to love a girl like me!" There it went…all the control. The flood gates were open and she couldn't find the strength to close them again.

"A girl like you?" He asked. "An amazing witch, a heroine with intelligence beyond her years? The girl who had the strength to kick my ass ten different ways and a reason to do it, but chose to rescue me from myself? You're the reason I wake up every morning, Hermione. The last thing I think about before I go to bed. You think I like having you in here?" He asked, holding his hand over his chest. "I'm not supposed to love you. I'm not supposed to live my life wishing you were there. I'm not supposed to wonder where you are or what you do…I'm sorry. I can't help my self. I'm in love you, Hermione."

She turned around. "I don't want you to love me!" She shouted. "Do you think that this is easy for me?" She asked him. _Fight, fight, don't say it_—"I'm a Charaden, Draco. I can't be _that_ girl, because she's dead! She died the moment I signed the doted line." He was staring at her, no expression except pure, unadulterated shock. "I've killed people, slept with them, brought down several people of power and I did it all for money! Monetary goods! Am I still worth loving? A whore? A murderer?" She asked.

"I swore that my opinion of you wouldn't change and it won't." He replied.

"Don't say that—you can't possibly know what you mean."

He put his hands on her upper arms, forcing her to face him. "I'm telling the truth here, Granger. Potion, remember? And I'm telling you that I don't care." He said. "I know you, and you wouldn't join Charade without a good reason—what did they offer you, Hermione?"

* * *

***

* * *

Draco was watching her. He hadn't wanted to spill his guts out to her, but he thought it was better to come out now, during the Veritaserum so that she'd never doubt him. But she still found a way to do it, and when her own secret came out; he couldn't find a fiber of his being that cared. "…what did they offer you, Hermione?"

She looked up at him, her intense honey gaze meeting his eyes. "Truth. They gave me the keys to finding out the outcome of the war." She said, her voice finally coming down from its rage. "I learned everything first hand and I tried to fix it. We didn't fail, but too many people died." She walked away from him. "It isn't an excuse, though. How can you look at me? Knowing what I am? What I do?" She asked, without looking at him.

He stared at the back of her honey head and sighed. "You saved the world, Hermione. You saved me. Who cares how you got there?" He asked. "I'm not thrilled about the idea, but it doesn't matter. Nothing matters except you. Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you—I had no control over that. It just happened and you may not love me today, tomorrow, or ever, but I will love you until it kills me, and, even then, you'll be in my heart." He told her, before grasping the latch of the door and opening it. He walked out, to be greeted by Professor Slughorn.

The professor was smiling, but looked at him confused. "I tested your potion myself, Mr. Malfoy. It only lasted an hour and fifteen minutes." He said.

"How long were we in there?" Draco asked.

"Nearly two hours." The professor replied.

"Could you do me a favor, sir?" Draco requested.

Slughorn nodded. "Certainly." He replied.

"Please don't tell Hermione how long it lasted in the test. Just let her think that it lasted the whole time." He begged. Slughorn nodded and Draco walked out of the Potions classroom.

To say that he was depressed was an understatement. Hermione hadn't denied that she loved him; she merely avoided any response in reciprocating his feelings for her. He wouldn't have guessed in a million years that Hermione Granger was a Charaden. He knew of the company, certainly, every pureblood and half-blood child did. It was an Unmentionable, but there were exceptions. The knowledge that the company existed was passed on to every generation. He knew that she was what they strived for among their ranks; beauty, brains, and a thirst for knowledge. He understood her reasons for joining, they were admirable. He also knew now how the bond between the woman who stole his heart and his cousin had formed. If Hermione was one, then so was Blair. It would be too hard for Hermione to conceal her secret from someone that she lived with, that was why she moved out of her childhood home. If she lived with another Charaden, then there would be no need for secrecy. Deduction was a skill for Draco.

He probably even knew why Blair joined. Voldemort had slaughtered his aunt and uncle, and she had wanted revenge. She was like Hermione, everything that Charade would want. He didn't like that the two women that he cared the most for in the world were Witches for Hire, but it wasn't his place to judge them and he refused to do so. Love was unconditional; his mother had taught him that. They weren't evil.

He entered the Heads' dormitory and sat down on the couch, putting his head in his hands. His elbows rested on his knees as he was hunched over. He hadn't expected to have such a heated discussion with her. He had played the possible reactions in his mind over and over again in his dreams and imagination. He never would've expected this.

A gentle hand grazed his back and he looked up, meeting honey brown eyes that had tears in them. One trickled down her cheek and he wiped it away with his thumb. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to him tightly. She was holding onto him desperately, as though she was falling and he was all that kept her from the edge. She was crying; he felt the cold, wet tears soaking through his shirt. All he could do is rub her head, her back, and whisper to her. "I'm here." He said over and over to her. "I'm not leaving, luv." He promised.

The weekend passed swiftly on. Neither Draco nor Hermione brought up the discussion they had in the Reveal Room. None of the seventh years seemed to keen to talk about the experiences they had under the Veritaserum. Draco and Hermione were determined to keep their promise to always be friends, to not allow what was said to affect them. It was harder than it seemed. Draco couldn't stop thinking about her, couldn't stop dreaming and loving her, but he wasn't going to push her into something she was determined against. To say that he was peachy with the whole thing was far from the truth. He was slipping further and further into a state that he never wanted to be in. He had to endure watching Hermione and Weasley fall back easily into their boyfriend/girlfriend routine, holding hands and kissing. It was nearly enough to make him heave.

He also had to endure watching the longing glances that Potter kept giving to his cousin over the head of his fiancée and hers in return. He doubted that they even realized they were doing it. It sickened him to the core. Love was all around, and none were claiming it.

By Thursday, everything was back to how it was before the Veritaserum, nearly. Draco was looking forward to the Quidditch game and dance on Saturday, hoping that the two Heads would be able to let everything go between them and just enjoy their time together, like they did before. He knew that it was a far wish, something not likely, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to take it all back, but at the same time, he was glad that she knew. That someone loved her. That someone was there. The Head Boy and Girl were going together, which was just fine with him. He could show her that nothing had changed. He knew that Weasley had found a date, but he didn't know who it was. Hermione didn't seem too upset by it; she actually seemed happy and intrigued. He knew that she couldn't possibly love Ron, even if she didn't love him. "Who could it be?" She said in frustration while they sat in the common room Thursday night. He'd returned from practice and dinner, to find her trying to decipher who would possibly go to a dance with Ron Weasley.

"I thought you didn't care?" Draco asked, his eyes lifting from his book he was reading (_Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoevsky) and looking at the curious witch.

"I don't!" She protested. "I'm just curious, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "Not particularly." He said, looking back down at his book.

She sat down beside him and huffed. He glanced at her and had to suppress a laugh. She had her arms crossed under her bust and had a pout firmly planted on her perfect features. He smiled and looked back at his book. "Why won't he tell us?" She asked.

"He probably doesn't want us to take the mickey out of him we do." Draco said disinterested. He thought it was adorable when she was completely disheveled by an unsolvable problem. God, he was turning into such a—bitch. "Just wait until Saturday, like the rest of us." He told her, lounging back against the couch and propping his feet up on the coffee table. He turned the page of the novel and she let out a groan.

"Ugh. I'm going to bed." She grumbled and got up. Draco put his book down and caught her hand. Hermione turned and looked at him. "What?" She asked her eyes soft.

"Are you sure that you're not jealous?" He asked.

She sat down again, taking his book, placing the marker in and setting it on the table. "I'm not, Draco. I just want to know who's lucky enough to have Ron's favor, that's all." She said, her eyes trying to tell him something, something just beyond his reach.

"He's your boyfriend, Granger. It'd be perfectly fine if you were." He reasoned.

She placed her small hand on his cheek. "I'm not." She said. She kissed his other cheek lightly. "Good night." And he just watched, in stunned silence as she walked up to her room and closed the door. Whoa! What just happened? Did he doze off and dream again? He shook his head and decided it was time to go to bed. Some of his fantasies were starting to attack him in the waking world and he just needed to not be going mad right now. He went into his room and shut the door, then began to take his clothes off.

Once in his boxers, he got into his bed and lied down. He shut his eyes, trying for once not to think of her, not to concentrate on the honey goddess sleeping just a few feet away from him. Unfortunately, just as he felt sleep overcome him, he heard the door of his room click open and he was instantly awake. He reached over to his nightstand and gripped the handle of his wand. Then he sat up and pointed it at the source. It was the bathroom door that was opened and a figure stood there. "_Lumos!_" He whispered and the figure stepped into the light. "Hermione?" He asked and stood up, leaving his bed and walking up to the vision in white in his doorway. She grabbed his hand and pulled him closer, wrapping it around her satin clad waist. "Wha-" His questioned was cut off by her small hand strongly pulling him down to her lips, crashing them onto her own in a display of fiery passion. She opened his mouth and deepened their kiss, bringing it to levels that he'd never even dreamed of. He could hardly be blamed for crushing that body closer to his, holding onto her for dear life, or the reaction that his body had to the whole ordeal.

Before he knew what was happening, they were at the bed. He hadn't remembered moving, but her hands were at his waist. _Don't let this be a dream, please don't let this be a dream_, his mind begged as her small hands pulled the boxers away and they fell to the floor. He pulled away from her and looked into her honey orbs, their kiss broken and his eyes confused. Her hands crossed over her chest, one hand going to each of the thin straps holding her nightgown on to her. The dress fell, gathering at her feet, and he was presented with every inch of naked flesh that she possessed. "Kiss me." She told him. He did as ordered and pulled her to him with a gentle, but firm hand on the back of her neck. He kissed her gently, but passionately, letting their tongues dance together in gentle messages. He felt her grasp him and gasped into that kiss. Her hand was cold against his sensitive skins and her grip was firm. Draco wasn't able to concentrate when she began to stroke and he pulled away from her lips. She released him and jumped up onto the bed. He was breathing heavily.

"Hermione—what is this?" He asked. He walked over to her and she ran her hand through his blond locks lovingly. She kissed him again.

"Please, Draco. Please." She begged. He crawled onto the bed; she lied down against the spread. He was above her, his strong arms on either side of her small body as he hovered, but he made no move to kiss her.

"Why?" He asked, desperately wishing that he could just accept this, but he couldn't.

She looked at him, her eyes filled with desperation. "I need you." She said pleading.

"Why me?" He questioned completely serious.

She reached her hands to his shoulders and stroked the muscles. "Tell me you love me." She requested.

"I love you, you know I do." He complied honestly.

"Tell me you want me." She begged.

He kissed her, lightly but it was far from chaste. "I always want you." He whispered against her lips. "Tell me why." He requested. She let her right hand fall from his shoulder and reached down to grip him. He sucked in air. "That's cheating." He growled in pleasure.

"Do this for me. I'll explain later, but please, just please make love to me." He couldn't resist when he saw the tears forming in her eyes. She was afraid that he was going to reject her. He reached down to her hand and griped her against him firmly, before pulling her hand away and touching her gently. She gasped and he slid his finger in. She was tight, tight but wet. He messaged her gently, pushing his finger into her depths while his thumb rubbed circles on her sensitive folds. Her eyes were closed, small gasps of pleasure erupting from that heavenly mouth at his ministrations. He slipped in another finger, widening her depths and bringing new pleasure on her. When the first orgasm hit her, she was so quiet, scratching his arms lightly, a small smile of pleasure on her lips. He was ready, she was ready, and he reached for his wand, casting a Contraceptive Charm.

Slowly, gently, he entered her and she squirmed under him. He kissed her as he drove himself deep inside of her, giving his own sighs of pleasure at the feel of her hips bucking up to match him. He pulled out and pushed in, bringing new sounds from her. Soon, they were at a steady pace, slow but deep, working together to get the maximum pleasure from the experience. He kissed along her collarbone finding her pulse and biting it gently. She gasped in his ear and kissed his neck. He quickened the pace, desperation rolling over him. She matched him easily and left trails of kisses along his neck and shoulders. She kissed him, scratched him, as he brought her over and over again over that beautiful edge. She was so beautiful and the feel of her beneath him was the greatest gift. He was close and she knew it. She kissed him, passionately, as he lost his fight to keep this going.

She wrapped her strong legs around him and rolled him over onto his back. He couldn't help the laugh that escaped when she did, he hadn't expected it. She was grinning at him mischievously and began to kiss down his body, using tongue and teeth as she trailed down his body. He was up again in no time, which seemed to be her goal as she looked into his blue eyes with her brown and positioned herself on top of him. She slid down his shaft easily, he gasped from the pleasure, the feel of her. She rocked back and forth, gliding her nails down his pectorals and abdomen. He gripped her hips, driving himself deeper into her, rocking her harder. She had control, almost all the control, but she didn't protest. She leaned down against him, kissing him as her hips rolled against him, then lifted him, her spin arching in pleasure. He ran his hands down her front, trying not to close his eyes, trying to memorize every moment.

Soon, they came together and she collapsed on top of him. He held her with strong arms, feeling her small hands on his chest. "I love you." He whispered into her hair. She looked at him and kissed him lightly. She pulled his limp form out of her deep cave, gasping again, and cuddled against him. He pulled the covers that had managed to gather at the foot of the bed over them and they fell asleep, both deeply satisfied.

The next morning, he woke up alone. Hermione wasn't anywhere to be seen. He thought wildly for a moment that it had all been a dream, but he hadn't gone to bed naked and his boxers were next to the bed on the bathroom side. Her nightgown wasn't. He got up and went into the bathroom, crossing the room to her door. He opened it and saw her bed made, then he closed it again. He took a shower, replaying the night in his head, and he couldn't help but smile. It was real. It meant something. It changed things.

After his shower, he went into his room and dressed for the day, feeling oddly euphoric. He couldn't wait to see her again. When he entered the common room, he saw a piece of paper on the coffee table. Thinking it was either his or Hermione's homework, Draco picked it up and began to read it.

_My dearest Draco,_

_I'm sorry. It isn't fair to tell you this in a letter, but it's all I can do. _

_Charade sent for me, last night I received their letter, requesting me in London this morning. Dumbledore has told everyone that my grandmother fell deathly ill and I was needed at home. Yes, he knows, but who could really hid anything from him? I'll be gone for awhile, I don't know exactly how long. He'll be sending me my assignments._

_Thank you for last night, Draco. I needed to feel something real, I needed you. _

_Nothing's changed, though. I'm still a Charaden and I can't be with you, Draco. It isn't right, what I did, and I hope that someday you'll forgive me._

_Promise me you'll never forget me, because if I thought you would I'd never leave._

_Sincerely,_

_Hermione_

_P.S.—You'll have to burn this letter. I'm sorry._

He crumpled the letter in his hand and threw it into the fire.

* * *

_Attention: Ok. So, since the last one was kind of overly Blair/Harry, I thought that I'd make this one completely Dramione. The next one will have the latest installment into that little love story, but I won't leave you high and dry on the Dramione front, because more to come. What did you think of the love scene? Either of them? I was a little iffy on it, because this story is like way too relaxed and I don't know if it conveyed the right amount of passion. _

_Evil Buffy quotes, mwah-ha-ha! I had to, sorry. The lines that I'm *cough* ripping off *cough* are my favorites from the show(s) and I can't help but integrate it. More will come, so I don't really care if no one likes them. Some of the quotes weren't Buffy though. A few of them were unknown that I got online and the "Promise me" line in the letter was a quote by Winnie the Pooh. _

_REVIEW!  
_


	5. Love Bitch

**Charades**

A Draco/Hermione Story

**Summary: **Its 7th year and Hermione has a dark secret. When love is the last thing she needs and the first gift she's given, what will happen when her secret is found out? Can his love save her from a life that wasn't meant for her? Or will she push everything aside to honor a debt? Post HBP, not DH compliant. OC characters involved.

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling, _Charades_ is owned by whoever the hell wrote the damn song, Blair is owned by me as well as the company Charade and the story line. That's it. Me poor, poor person.

**Pairings:** You have to know at least two of them by now?

**Author's Note: **Ok. I have got to recommend a story that I read. I was blown away by how well it was written and I've got to give it praise. It is one of the best Draco/Hermione stories that I've read, called _To Hell With Responsibility_ by x-caitlin-x and I've got to say the Spuffy references (if they were intended) were way better than anything I've come up with. So please, give the author some praise so she'll feel inspired to write some more. AND how about giving me some sort of idea of opinions here?

To my anonymous reviewer **kbw**: oops. I didn't realize I'd done that. I had been thinking Melville and for some reason my hands didn't connect to it. Might be a blond moment, sorry about that. I love Moby Dick and I love Dickens and I think I was watching Nicholas Nickelby when I wrote that chapter. Thanks for telling me!

* * *

**Last Chapter: **

Promise me you'll never forget me, because if I thought you would I'd never leave.

Sincerely,

Hermione

P.S.—You'll have to burn this letter. I'm sorry.

_He crumpled the letter in his hand and threw it into the fire._

_

* * *

_**Chapter 5: **Love's (a) Bitch

* * *

_Dear Hermione,_

_Something is wrong over here. I know that you can't leave, but tell me how to fix it. Since you left, Draco has been tearing himself apart. He never stops drinking, he hasn't been sober once in the last two weeks. It's killing him, Hermione. Whatever happened between you both—I'm scared. He barely speaks to us. When he does, it's as if every word is ripping his soul out. Harry has been trying to get through to him, but I don't think its working. _

_Another thing that you should know is that Harry knows your cover is a lie. He wrote your mum, sending his worries and condolences and she returned the letter. He's had me in the ROR for the last two weeks trying to come up with something, I'm trying to avoid telling him._

_What task could've possibly been so important that they had to take you away? I've never seen Draco look so defeated. He's never been like this before and you're being gone is the only explainable cause. What happened?_

_Write me back._

_Sincerely,_

_Blair_

_P.S.—Ron's dating Pansy. They went to the ball together. Kind of weird, huh?_

Hermione couldn't help the tears that escaped from her eyes when she read the letter, even though the last bit almost made her want to smile. Almost. Draco wasn't supposed to be acting like that. He was supposed to get pissed, get so angry with her that he couldn't see straight and run off and forget her with the nearest slag. Not pounding his sorrows in drink. Harry would find out soon and she'd be facing his reaction when she returned to Hogwarts. She looked out the window, gazing out at the busy street 6 stories beneath her. From the bathroom of the penthouse, she could hear her companion in the shower, singing loudly and off-key to "Like a Virgin". It made her smile, but only just.

The building they were in was new to the city, just recently built on the party street. Her companion's choice of song for the shower was in honor of their presence in America. The city was small, set in the rural lands of northwest Arkansas. It was beautiful, reminding her pleasantly of home, with its natural setting. It was alive, buzzing with University students, tourists, and residents. Fayetteville had made a distinct impression on the British national. The reason they were there, however, made it hard to enjoy her surroundings.

The shower stopped and a few minutes later saw a tall, lean red-haired man entering the living room area wearing blue jeans and a vintage red tee-shirt, drying his hair with a white towel. "Did you find anything out?" Charlie asked, sitting down on the couch. She went to her lap top and put the letter from Blair aside.

"They're holding shop in the Lindsey building off of Joyce Boulevard under the name Forrest Gregor." She read off to him.

"A muggle real estate firm?" Charlie asked standing up and walking over to her.

"Where else? They can hide from the City Ministry easily and the building is gauche enough to suit Malfoy's tastes. The building plays host to more than the real estate agency, there are lawyers and accountants and even a dental firm."

"That's classic—a dental office next to Edible Arrangements." Charlie chuckled a bit. She rolled her eyes at the older wizard. "So, what's the cover?"

"They're CPAs apparently. Malfoy is good with money, but they haven't got any clients. Obviously. The building closes at 8." She told him.

"What about on Sundays?" Charlie asked. He had a good reason; hardly anything in this town was open on Sundays.

"Closes at 3. But, Malfoy and Greyback probably don't hold much to the rules." Hermione reasoned with him. Charlie nodded and started pacing.

"We should hit it tonight. They don't know anyone has found them, they'll get careless. If we go in at 11 or 12 we'll have less of a chance of meeting up with them. Hopefully." He said. Hermione nodded in agreement and stood up from her computer, closing it.

"We need to eat, Charlie." She told him. He agreed and they left the building, walking onto the busy sidewalk of Dickson Street. Right next to their building was a burrito place called Q'doba's and across the street was a Greek café, a Japanese sushi bar, and a sub shop. Ignoring the many fine muggle establishments, they crossed the street and walked up the street, heading in the direction of the post office. Tucked in between a jazz club and a jeweler's was a gated alleyway. Charlie tapped the lock with his wand and they entered the alley, walking through a door that appeared, at first glace, to be a flat. In reality, it was the entrance to Ellis Avenue, the wizarding area of Fayetteville. The street was filled with people, all cramming into familiar shops such as Flourish and Blott's and Quality Quidditch Supplies. They walked down the street reaching the pub called Hair of the Dog and slipped inside. Charlie picked a booth in the furthest corner of the small pub and they browsed the menu. "Hello, Damon, Amanda." Said the waitress who had come over as soon as she saw them.

"Hello, Jessica. How are you today?" Charlie asked politely.

"Oh, I'm doing great. What can I get y'all to drink?" She asked, pencil at the ready.

Charlie looked at Hermione and she shrugged. "I guess I'll take a butterbeer, Jess. Thank you."

"The same." Charlie told the blond waitress, who nodded and returned to the back to get their drinks. Hermione smiled small at this. Charlie and Jessica had been flirting for the entire two weeks that they'd been there, both were trying desperately not to, but it was only natural. Charlie thought that her slight Southern American accent was charming and she thought his British one was sexy, just like most American's did. Hermione knew that it was hard on the second eldest Weasley, to not go for something that was a sure thing, but their cover made that impossible. They were Damon and Amanda Cromwell, newlyweds visiting from London in prospect of staying in America. That didn't allow for one night stands.

Hermione had gotten the letter from Lilah two weeks ago. In the letter, it stated that this Task was going to be highly dangerous. The Minister of Magic had hired Charade to track down Lucius Malfoy and Fenrir Greyback in America. It was a seek and destroy Task, they were to find them, find out all their plans and who was involved, then kill them both. When she'd reached London, she found out that her partner was going to be Charlie, which was strange since he was in a different Unit and much older than her. They had been hired for their skills. Charlie and Hermione were both incredibly intelligent and diligent in their work, both skilled, and Charlie's experience probably played a lot into it. When she went to Draco, she'd wanted to spend at least one night with something that was real before she entered a life or death situation. He really loved her and she had used him shamelessly. Now, he was drinking and she could never forgive herself.

Charlie ordered them both some of the local cuisine, open-faced hot roast beef sandwiches with mash and gravy. "Are you ok?" He asked concerned.

She shrugged. "Fine, why?" She didn't meet his eyes.

"Does it have something to do with that owl that came this morning? I know that owl." He said. She looked away. Hedwig had delivered the letter from Blair and had been sleeping in the spare cage that Hermione had since her long journey. You didn't get many snowy owls in Arkansas. "Hermione, talk to me." He whispered.

She looked him, meeting his blue eyes that reminded her of Ron. "It was from Blair. I just—we have to finish this up soon. I can't stay away from school much longer. I'm getting behind in my studies and they need me." She told him honestly. She didn't want to go into great detail, but she knew that Charlie would let it go. And so he did. Once their food arrived, they were chatting away about home, reminiscing about the Burrow and Hogwarts. They talked in whispers, careful that no one discovered the truth.

When they were finished with their dinner, they paid for their food and got up. Leaving Ellis Avenue, the Charadens went to the car garage where their rental car was stored for the time being. The car was an American car, a Chevy Malibu in black. It was nice and not over the top, keeping them pretty low-profile, as much as two Brits in Arkansas that weren't students could be. They drove into the town, driving to the North of the town towards the business district. Within minutes they arrived at the Lindsey Building for recon. Hermione went in, followed closely by Charlie, and went to the front desk. "May I help you?" The secretary asked in a bored voice.

"I'm looking for Forrest Gregor?" Hermione asked, in a perfect American accent.

"Room 213 on the 3rd floor." And the secretary pointed to the elevators. Charlie and Hermione walked to the elevators and easily performed a cloaking spell on the surveillance camera as they stepped in and glamoured their appearance. Charlie adopted a short, dark brown hair cut, brown eyes and a dark tan, while Hermione changed to a honey blonde with blue eyes and pale skin. Satisfied, they lifted the cloaking spell and muttered an incantation that would change the film to believe that they'd been there the whole time. When the lift stopped at the third floor, Hermione led the way to room 213 and entered, Charlie closing the door behind them. The receptionist looked up in surprise. "Is there something I can assist you with?" She asked her eyes confused.

Hermione smiled sweetly and in her American accent, said, "We wanted to talk to Mr. Gregor about opening an account in his firm. We heard that he was an excellent CPA and my husband and I were interested."

The girl nodded and buzzed the back office. "Mr. Gregor, there is a couple here to see you." She said.

"Who are they?" The drawl of Lucius Malfoy's voice came over the intercom.

The girl looked at them expectantly. "Andy and Megan Harris." Charlie told her in an equally believable American accent.

"Mr. and Mrs. Harris, Mr. Gregor. They want to open an account."

"Send them in."

She pointed to the frosted glass door to their left and 'Andy' went in first. Hermione followed her partner and could barely contain the gasp at the sight of Lucius Malfoy's piercing gaze, his eyes reminding her of Draco instantly. It killed her, how much he looked like his father. Lucius stood and held his hand out to Charlie. He looked out of place, with his long blond hair drawn back into a pony tail and wearing a muggle designer navy suit. "Mr. Harris, I'm Dalton Gregor." He said. Charlie shook his hand and that piercing silver gaze hit Hermione.

"I'm Andy and this is my wife, Megan." Charlie introduced. Lucius held his hand out to Hermione and she shook it lightly.

"Mrs. Harris pleased to meet you. Please, have a seat." He insisted and they both sat down in the blue cushioned chairs opposite his desk. "I understand that you are interested in our firm?"

"We are, Mr. Gregor." Charlie said in the same disinterested tone that Malfoy was giving. Charlie started to talk about their 'financial snag' and other covers while Hermione studied the room discreetly. There was one security camera, three trip alarms and a safe. If there was any information here, it would be in the vault. Undoubtedly he'd put some charms and safety wards on the metal confine, but with the number of spells she was equipped with she could easily crack it. She could find out more information when she found out where he and Greyback were living.

"Mr. Gregor," Hermione said, when they were done talking. "Forgive me, but I'm confused, I understood your first name to be Forrest."

He smirked, and Hermione fought back a cringe. The damn thing was hereditary. "I was wondering when that would come in to question, Mrs. Harris. My business associate and I joined this partnership and combined our names, such as many companies in this area of the country do. We decided to make it more of a joint name rather than two last names, Forrest and Gregor doesn't flow quite as easily, does it?" Hermione nodded in agreement. "So, Zachariah Forrest and Dalton Gregor became Forrest Gregor." His smirk was starting to raise bile in her throat and she couldn't hold it back.

"Excuse me." She said, standing up and rushing to the restroom at the end of the hallway outside of the offices.

When she left the restroom, Charlie was waiting outside the door. "Are you ok?" He asked. She shrugged. "I told him that you had morning sickness, and then explained that that was the reason behind our financial inquiries, for the baby."

"Nice save." She complemented.

He shrugged. "I'm not sure it was a save. You've been careful, right?" He asked, his now-dark eyes scrunched in concern.

"Of course." She explained to him the reason for her getting sick, that the man had reminded her of Draco, who was completely opposite from that vile pureblood elitist. "It just doesn't make sense that they're related." She summed up.

Charlie wrapped his arm around her and led her to the elevator, casting the same spells on the camera before stepping in and de-glamouring themselves. Then he added the other spell to give the illusion that they were there the whole time, stepped out and walked back the car. Once the engine started and they backed out of the space and into traffic, he asked, "You miss Malfoy, don't you?"

She sighed. "Does it matter?" She asked.

He shrugged. "It does to you. What happened?" He asked knowingly. Sometimes it would be nice to be around someone who didn't read her so well. She sighed and explained what happened the night before she left Hogwarts. "That explains a lot. I've been waiting for him to say something to you. Do you love him?" He asked.

She shirked her shoulders. "I can't be with him. It wouldn't be fair to put him through this. He knows about me, about what I am and what I do, and every time I leave, he'll be wondering who's paid for me this time. It'll kill him. I won't put him through that." She answered.

"That's not what I asked, 'Mione." He told her sternly. "Love is too precious to throw away, it's a special gift and you can't give it up just because you're a Charaden for the time being."

"For the time being?" She asked curiously.

He gave a chuckle before replying, "You're not cut out for this, Honey. This life isn't going to keep you happy, it makes you miserable. You deserve to grasp life by the stones, not wallow in the shadows." She looked out the window, staring out at the passing buildings as they traveled back to the penthouse until time to strike.

"I love him." She whispered, so low that Charlie couldn't hear. "I love him."

* * *

***

* * *

Harry was upset. No, no, upset wasn't the right word. Pissed off, that was closer. Enraged wouldn't be a stretch. Why, you ask, was Harry Potter feeling so livid? Because his best friend lied to him. That's right, Hermione had given them all a bogus excuse to leave school, in her N.E.W.T year, and hadn't had the balls to at least tell him the truth. To top it off, he'd had to watch one of his best mates sink lower and lower into depression and a bottle and he had no idea how to revive him.

When he'd gotten the news that Hermione had left school, he'd been worried about her. The idea of Hermione Granger willingly leaving behind her studies was nearly impossible and upon hearing that it was because her grandmother was ill, he'd been grieved himself. When she didn't return in the weeks that followed, he'd written her at her mum's home in deepest worry. The reply he'd gotten was a shock. Her mother said that both of Hermione's grandmothers had died when she was young and that she hadn't been home since she'd left for Hogwarts. He was pissed.

So, he was on a mission to find the truth, held up in the Room of Requirement for hours on end, trying to find some reason as to why Hermione would have to leave school and lie to him about it. Malfoy was no help, since he was snockered half the time. Ginny and Ron hadn't been alerted, not wanting to cause panic. So, he turned to the only logical person he could, Blair. They'd been meeting daily for a week, researching reasons why Hermione would leave, using any material that the Room could produce. He started to suspect that Blair knew when she requested the use of Hedwig over a school owl to send a letter. Today, he was going to confront her about it. He sat on the couch in the center of the Room and waited. At four, she entered, her arms laden with books. She walked over to him and sat them down. "Hedwig returned last night." Harry told her.

She nodded. "Good. Is she well?" Blair asked innocently.

"Fine. Knackered, but that's to be expected after a long journey." She looked at him. "Do you trust me?" He asked.

"You know I do, Harry." She told him. "We're friends."

He nodded. "And as a friend, you owe me the truth. You know where Hermione is, don't you?" He asked.

She looked away. "I don't know where she is." She told him.

He reached hand gently to her chin and pulled her to face him. "But, you know why she left." He inferred. "Don't lie to me, Blair. I think I deserve the truth."

"I can't tell you, Harry. I don't know everything." She said. He could see all of her resolve disappearing.

"Tell me what you can." He requested.

"I can't. I'm sorry." She responded, a single tear gliding down her cheek. Gently, he wiped the tear away with his thumb. Her dark orbs met his green and he felt the nearly irresistible urge to kiss her—damn it! Was he supposed to be pissed? He just couldn't be mad at her. He lo—_no, no, don't go there. Friends, you agreed to be just friends, Potter_. She stood and distanced herself from him so quickly he didn't know she was gone until his hand hit his leg. "I should—I have to go." She said and she started toward the door.

"Are you coming back?" He asked, not stopping her.

"I'll see you tomorrow." And she left. Harry was shouting internally at himself. What the hell was that? Hadn't they decided that this—that whatever was going on was going to end and that they were just friends? _I need to know what she's hiding from me_. He thought in frustration. Just as soon as the thought entered his mind, a book appeared on the coffee table in front of him. He leaned over and picked it up. _The Unmentionable: A Guide to Charade and Other Unmentionable forces in the Wizarding World_ by author unknown. Charade? As Harry read the book, he slowly began to understand—everything.

The next day, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Draco, Pansy, and Blair went to Hogsmeade. Ron, Ginny, and Pansy were walking ahead, talking about the Snow Ball that was coming the weekend before they all left for the Christmas holidays. At breakfast, it was decided that Blair and Harry would be in charge of cheering up Draco, so the other three were currently headed to The Three Broomsticks while they were walking towards the edge of the village. People were crowded in the streets, the hustle and bustle of students and everyday voyeurs made for a very excited atmosphere. But Draco wasn't the only one lost in his thoughts.

Since Harry had read (cover to cover) that book in the Room of Requirement, he'd been trying to decide what it meant to him. Did it matter that Hermione was selling herself for whatever the customer wanted? Or that Blair did as well? He knew that if Hermione was one, then Blair had to be as well. Did Draco know? Was that why he was so upset? Thinking that the woman you love could be out there right now, shagging some other bloke—Harry knew that Hermione had joined for good reason. He had concluded that they must've bribed her with all that knowledge she'd just seemed to acquire last year. Hermione wouldn't have turned down the opportunity to save lives if she could.

Blair—why would Blair join? Because of her parents? She certainly didn't need the money. Why did it matter? It didn't change who she was to him. She was a good person and probably had her own reasons. The question was; who else was in Charade? The book said that 8 students from each of the three top magical schools in Europe were recruited yearly. That left six spaces at Hogwarts, for their year anyway. Then, two of them just came into him—Zabini and Parkinson. Hermione had been friendly with them over the summer and they were in kind. They would completely be options for Slytherin.

If there were one boy and one girl from each year, then who was the other Gryffindor? Ron wasn't, he wasn't, and that left Neville, Dean, and Seamus. Neville was out; he didn't have many of the requirements that were in the book. Dean or Seamus? Seamus didn't seem likely because of his temperament. So, Dean—it made a kind of sense. The next question was who was the other Ravenclaw? Blair seemed rather close to Michael Corner, Ginny's former boyfriend, so he was probably the one. Harry didn't know where to even begin with Hufflepuff. He couldn't imagine any of the Hufflepuffs being a Charaden. How had he not known about this?

Harry couldn't tell Ron. He would go off the deep end if he knew the truth. Ginny would—he wasn't rightly sure what Ginny would do but it wouldn't be good. He hadn't been able to talk to Blair and he wasn't sure if Malfoy knew so he couldn't just blurt it out and if he did know, then it wouldn't be very good on the "cheer-Malfoy-up" front. Harry cleared his head of the thoughts as the three of them reached the grounds of the Shrieking Shack. They all sat down and just stared out at it. "Draco, talk to us." Blair requested of her cousin.

He grunted. "Why?" He asked. He tipped a bottle of mead up and swallowed. "I know why we're here. It won't work."

Harry sighed. "Why not?"

"This is my problem; I'll deal with it myself." Draco told him. His voice was quiet, filled with self-loathing.

"Drowning in drink isn't dealing, Draco. It's avoiding." Blair reasoned.

He chuckled darkly. "You're one to talk about avoidances, dear cousin." He took another drink.

Blair crossed her arms and looked at him. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

Harry was wary of this conversation immediately. What did Malfoy know? "The last time I checked, I told Hermione straight out how I felt about her. Look at you two; making googly-eyes at each other—makes me want to heave." He drank again.

She looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about." Blair said avoiding all contact with either of them.

"Oh, yeah. You're just friends." Malfoy said in a sarcastic drawl.

Harry sighed. "That's right." He told the blond boy.

Draco turned indignant silver orbs at him. "You're _not_ friends. You'll never be friends." He stood up and glared at them both. "You'll be in love 'till it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other 'till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends." He pointed a finger to his temple. "Love isn't brains, children, its blood," That hand went to his chest as he continued. "Blood screaming inside you to work its will." His hand dropped and he looked at them. His glare gone and his eyes alit with fire. "_I_ may be love's bitch, but at least _I'm_ man enough to admit it."

When his speech came to a close, the three of them were startled by the sound of clapping from the tree line. Harry and Blair stood up, positioning themselves on either side of Draco as a figure immerged from the forest. Theodore Nott was clapping and walking over to them, reminding Harry of one of those big game cats on the telly. A leopard or lion stalking its prey. "Wow, Drake. Who'd of thought a filthy mudblood would turn you into a worthless pile of drunken dung?" He said with an amused expression on his putrid face. Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it at his fellow Slytherin. "Uh-huh, mate. I wouldn't be doing that." Nott said shaking his finger. Suddenly, about ten Slytherins came from the woods, all with their wands pointed at the trio. Harry and Blair had already had their wands out, but the odds weren't in their favor.

"What do you want, Nott?" Harry asked, keeping his wand trained on the pack of serpents.

Nott shrugged. "It's not what I want, Potter." He said simply. "You see, I'm a good boy. I do what I'm told. And if I have a bit of fun along the way," He laughed. "Then all's the more for me."

"Cut the shit, Theo." Draco spat out. "Why are you here?" Harry's periphery saw Draco tighten his grip on his wand.

"I'm doing what I was ordered to do. Kill the blood traitors and Saint Potter." He shot a stunner at them, but Draco deflected. The battle was on. Harry charged in, shooting every spell he could imagine at the Slytherins, carefully avoiding the Avada's they were sending out. After defeating two rather large sixth years, Harry chanced a glance at Blair. She seemed to have given up entirely on her wand and was dodging spells while using her lithe body to take out as many of them that went after her. Harry couldn't believe his eyes. She was fighting them, with muggle martial arts that he would've never thought that she would know. One severely burly sixth year came at her, one long muscular leg came up and kicked him in his groin, and when he doubled over in pain, she kicked him in the face with the same leg, causing the Slytherin to fall to the ground, incapacitated. A stunner skimmed by him and he was drawn back into the battle.

Within a few minutes, the three of them were all that was left standing. Draco was bent over by Nott, his hand around the boy's throat. Harry and Blair converged on them. Nott was barely conscious. "Who told you to attack us?" Draco barked out.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Nott coughed up. Draco punched him in the nose, a sickening noise erupted as his nose broke.

"Who?"

Nott started to cough, some blood leaving his mouth that had been inhaled by the broken nose. "You won't be able to save her. She's already dead." He growled.

Blair bent down and grabbed Nott's arm. She twisted it in an unnatural way, resulting in a howl of pain. "Talk." She said. "Or it brakes."

He didn't say another word until she increased the pressure on the bend. He cried out, "FINE! Fine, just let go!" Harry flinched away from the blood splurging from his mouth. Blair released the pressure. "Lucius. He—he's got the girl. Told me to take you out." His breathing was heavy and his eyelids drooped.

"He's out." Blair told them as she stood up. Draco stood too, a look of pure hatred and determination on his face.

"Who do you think he was talking about?" Harry asked, looking at the bloodied, passed out Slytherin. "What girl?" He looked back at Blair, she was watching Draco. Harry looked at the blond as well.

"Hermione."

* * *

***

* * *

After leaving the grounds of the Shack, Draco led the way back into the village. Neither Harry nor Blair had said a word, for which Draco was grateful. He had only room for one thing on his mind at the moment. They followed behind him in silence as he trudged them up to the castle, ignoring the stares of students as he went straight to the gargoyle entrance of the Headmaster's office. "Gum drops." He said and the gargoyle began to move.

When they reached the door, without knocking, Draco entered. "Where is she?" He said, trying to not shout at the elderly professor.

Dumbledore's blue eyes were filled with concern. "Where is who, Draco?" He asked.

"Hermione." Dumbledore nodded and was silent. Draco waited and waited. His patience was warring thin. Dumbledore was watching his fireplace, the red flames licking the top sides and slowly a panicked head of Charlie Weasley emerged.

"Professor Dumbledore, Hermione's been taken. We need—" Charlie stopped, noticing the presence of Draco, Potter, and Blair.

"Where is she?" Draco repeated to Charlie. It didn't even faze him that Charlie Weasley was involved in Charade. Nothing touched him at the moment.

"We're in America. You're dad set up wards that we didn't even know existed—he got her." Charlie didn't hesitate to explain. For that, Draco was grateful.

"Tell me where I'm Flooing to." He ordered. A sideways glance at Dumbledore caught the old man nodding his permission to the second eldest Weasley.

"Underwood Plaza. I'm in the only one attached to International Floo." Charlie's head then disappeared. Draco turned to face Dumbledore.

"I'm going, sir." He said.

Dumbledore merely nodded. "I know. I expect all of you safely back by Monday." He said, handing Draco a small box of powder. Draco turned to Blair and Potter. Blair reached into the box and took a hand full before going to the fireplace and shouting her destination. She disappeared in a flash of green flames.

"You don't have to come." Draco gave him the option. Potter didn't know what was going on and he could walk away. Draco couldn't. There were no options. Just getting her safely back to him.

"I love her, too, Malfoy." Was all Potter said before taking his powder and evaporating from sight in the fire. Draco walked to the fire.

"Underwood Plaza!"

The flat was large, a penthouse, but Draco didn't care much for admiring. He looked at Weasley. "What happened?"

"I was called in to Charade the same time 'Mione was. They wanted two Charadens that were comfortable enough around each other that they would be passed off as a couple in love. They knew that she and I were close through my family, so they called her from school. I've been tracking Lucius Malfoy since he disappeared after Voldemort was taken out. The Minister hired us to find out what he's been doing and kill him and Fenrir Greyback once we had everything." He paused, waiting for Draco's reaction. Draco didn't do anything but wait. He wasn't going to let Weasley kill him. He was going to do it himself. "So, we've been staking him out here for the past few weeks. Digging up any information on him we could. Hermione tracked him down to a local Real Estate firm, and we were breaking into his office, gathering intelligence. She tripped some sort of sensor he had and she disappeared. Not like Apparation or a Disillusionment charm, she was just gone.

I decided to check out the property he purchased on one of the high streets. It's a large property, but he's got her locked up there. I saw her before they moved her. I don't know where she is exactly, but it's somewhere there."

"Why go to Dumbledore? Why not go to Charade?" Potter asked from his corner. All three of them looked at him in shock. How did he know? Did Blair tell him? Judging by the look on her face, probably not.

"Because I don't want them involved. She's family. I wanted someone I trusted to get her out." Charlie replied, looking Harry in the eye. Draco felt an incurable sense of urgency.

"Take us there, now." He ordered.

"We need a plan, Draco." Blair told him from her perch. He looked at her.

"I have one. We go, we get her out safely, I kill him, and we leave." All of them made noises of protest, but he stopped them. "Non-negotiable. Now, Weasley."

By the time they reached the large manor on Lover's Lane, it was nightfall. Under the cover of darkness, the four of them snuck onto the property and waited. Greyback could be seen in the large living room through the bay windows, laughing at something going on in front of him. The whole house had a Silencing Charm over it, but Draco had an idea of what was going on. He pulled out his wand and led them to the front door. He pressed the doorbell and they stayed hidden in the bushes by the door. Greyback opened the door, giving Blair her opening, pulling out the gun that Charlie had given her and firing it into his skull. She Disillusioned the body and Draco glamoured himself to look exactly like the fallen werewolf. "Take the body back to Dumbledore." Draco told Charlie. Charlie just nodded and Disapparated the body in toe. He turned to Harry and Blair. "Give me five minutes, then come in." And he walked through the door.

A voice sounded from a room to the left of the living room. The direction that Greyback had been laughing at. "Who was it?" It was his father.

Draco walked purposefully through the door and saw his father's wand pointed at an unconscious Hermione. It took all of his self-control to not attack at that moment. "Muggle brats. Got rid of them." He growled.

His father smirked. "I'm not getting anything out of this thing. You want a go?" He offered graciously.

Draco nodded curtly and his father walked out of the room. Draco rushed over to Hermione and untied her hands, then her feet which were bound to the armless wood chair. She stirred, blood dripping from her mouth, and looked at him. He removed the Glamour, meeting her honey eyes with his silver ones. "Draco—?" She coughed out.

He looked at her, memories flashing in his mind. In an off-hand tone, he said, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't have a good reason." She slumped into his arms and he cradled her. "As usual, I'm here to help you." She touched her bruised hand, caked in dried blood, to his cheek. "I'm getting you out of here." He said, trying not to cry—he wasn't going to cry, she was alive, here, and he wasn't letting her go. He picked her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style through the threshold of her cell into the large living room. Potter and Blair already had his father at wand and gun point. His wand lay on the floor between them. "Potter." Draco called. Harry went to him and took the barely conscious Hermione from him. Draco bent down and picked up his father's wand and snapped it in half.

"Draco! I will not allow you to—"

Draco pointed his wand at the taller man's throat. "To what? Live? You sent _Theo Nott_ to kill me and you have the stones to stand there and threaten me?" Draco drove the tip of his wand into his father's throat. "You tortured an innocent witch and we'll be lucky to get her to England alive."

"She's a mudblood."

Draco's eyes darkened. "Never—call—her—that." He said dangerously. He hadn't felt this level of anger, the anger that comes right before you kill, a kind of peace, since he was a murderer. Since he was evil. Before he loved her, before she saved him. He looked into the eyes of his father and he knew that he would've never been evil if Lucius Malfoy hadn't brainwashed him. Hadn't taught him to be. He'd hoped that once the Dark Lord was out of the picture, his father would renounce his ways, but seeing the woman he loved—seeing what he did to her, Draco knew that his father wouldn't change.

"I taught you to be better than muggle loving slim, Draco." His father held no fear in his eyes. He still believed that Draco was under his control. The bastard.

Draco removed his wand walked over to Blair and took her gun. Then he looked down at Hermione. "I love you. Forgive me." He told her then swung around and pointed the gun at his father's head.

"I'll never forgive you for this, son." His father growled.

"I was talking to her." Then he saw it, the first trickle of realization in his father's eyes. He pulled the trigger and the light was gone. The body fell to the floor. Blair took the gun from him.

"Take Hermione and get out. I'll take care of this." She told him. "Both of you." He walked over to Potter and took Hermione from him.

"Blair—" Potter started.

"I'll be _there_." She told him. Draco had no idea what she meant, but he held Hermione close and Disapparated straight to Hogsmeade. Potter followed him and they both ran to the school, Hermione drifting in and out of consciousness as they did.

He waited three excruciating days, three days of uncertainty. He held her hand tightly in his. She was healed, taking blood replenishing potions, but she hadn't woken up in three days. He hadn't left her side. Potter, Weasley, Blair, Zabini, Pansy, and Ginny came in intervals over those three days. Potter stayed most of the time with him. Draco noticed that Blair and Potter never came together and never ended up there at the same time. He didn't want to bother with their denial. He had so much he wanted to say to Hermione.

He was so angry for how she left. He was deathly worried about her the whole time she was gone. He couldn't get that last night out of his mind. But as much as he wanted to scream at her, yell at her for leaving him so easily, he wanted to hold her, kiss her, tell her that he loved her over and over again and never let her go. Love's bitch, he told Harry and Blair as much. He knew it, he wasn't going to deny it, and his soul belonged to her. However fragmented it was, it was hers. His blood, his life—Hermione was it. He knew that she wouldn't accept it. She would probably hate him with this experience. After all, it was his father that did it to her.

Her hand twitched in his. He looked up at her face, the discoloration nearly none existent now. Her eyes fluttered open. "Draco." She whispered hoarsely.

"Hey." He whispered back.

She didn't take her eyes from his. "Lucius?" She asked.

"Taken care of." Charlie had sent him a clipping from the Northwest Arkansas Times detailing the found body of Dalton Gregor, 48, who committed suicide in his Lover's Lane manor house on Saturday night. Blair had covered them all. "How do you feel?" He asked.

She smiled painfully. "I missed you." She whispered to him.

Just like that, everything—every bit of anger he had towards her evaporated. "Me too, luv. Me too."

* * *

***

* * *

Blair stayed an extra day in Fayetteville, wanting to make sure that the muggles bought her suicide scene. To be honest with herself, she was avoiding Harry. Draco's words hit home, and it felt like a stake in her heart. He was right. She was going to tell Harry that and then she was going to try to stay out of his life. It would be hard, since her best friends were his best friends, but she would work around it. Spend more time with Blaise and Pansy—although Pansy was occupying most of her time with Ron since the Halloween Ball. It was killing her and hence the avoiding. Once she returned to the castle, though, she saw Harry at breakfast and he gave her that look. She knew that she would be meeting him after classes in the Room. She couldn't avoid it any longer.

Thankfully, they didn't have any classes together on Mondays. Draco didn't go to class Monday, opting instead to wait for Hermione to wake up. He didn't leave her side. She didn't know what was in store for her cousin and friend, but she knew that this was the real deal for him. He loved her and that was that. Walking up the steps to the 7th floor, she felt that proverbial stake twist and grind. This was so hard for her. She didn't have a choice. _I need to talk to Harry Potter._ She thought, reaching the appropriate portion of the corridor. A door appeared and she hesitated. _Deep breaths, Radcliffe. Deep breaths._ She thought to herself. She took her own advice and breathed it before grabbing the knob and twisting it open. Harry looked at her as the door closed behind her. "Hey, I was wondering when you were coming." He said, a faint grin making an appearance.

She just looked at him. "I'm not coming back." The grin was no where to be seen. "We're not friends. We never were. And I can fool Ginny and I can fool our friends, but I can't fool myself." She took in a breath. "Or Draco, for some reason." She said releasing it. "What I want from you I can never have. You don't need me to help you anymore. So, I'm gonna go." She concluded, turning slightly towards the door.

His eyes were unreadable. He wasn't sure what to say or think, she knew that. But he did speak, "I don't accept that." He told her.

"You have to." She reasoned.

"How can—" He stopped. "There's gotta be some way we can still see each other."

She turned back, just enough to look into his eyes. "There is." He waited expectantly. "Tell me you don't love me." She turned back around, put her hand on the knob. When he didn't respond, she opened the door and walked out of the Room of Requirement forever.

When she reached her dormitory, she crawled into bed and cried. For the first time, she cried. She loved him. She was in love with Harry Potter.

* * *

_Attention: I know, the Blair-section wasn't very long. I hope it's ok, but there was so much going on already. I had to leave it off like this. As always, the quotes I used belong to their maker, I'm just sampling. BTW, I _LOVE_ all the nosy reviews. I think I got an enormous total of two from the last chapter. Way to inspire me. _

_I actually haven't decided if I'm going to make Charade evil or not. They aren't evil, per se, but I want any advice/ideas that anyone can give on that. Like taking them out of commission or anything. Ideas for future chapters are always welcome. Help me._

_So, what did you think of this chapter? The town? The mission? Details are coming on what little nasty Lucius and Greyback were working on. I haven't actually decided what they were doing, but inspiration will come. _

_REVIEW  
_


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